These modules serve as introductions to doing research using different historical research skills and strategies. They are designed to be used either as self-guided tours, if you are someone who is interested in developing your historical research skills, or as assignments or activities in a course, if you are an instructor or student in History or related disciplines.
Each module includes a basic introduction to the given form of research; a step-by-step guide to doing this research; an exercise to put this information into practice (mostly drawing on resources at UBC but relevant and adjustable for your own research context if you are located elsewhere); and further advice, resources, and/or questions for reflection on this form of research. Each module ends with a set of review questions to test your learning.
The time to completion will vary depending on your experience, your level of engagement with the material, and whether you choose to do the research exercise. For now, I estimate that each module will take between fifteen and thirty minutes to read, and approximately one hour to complete with the research exercise (not counting travel time to the archive, of course!). If you have a vastly different experience, I welcome your corrections on this front.
You can navigate the modules in any order, selecting them with the drop-down menu at the top of the page or by the following links:
- Doing Library Research. This module focuses on conducting a literature search for secondary sources, which is often the first step in embarking on historical research. It draws specific examples from the UBC Library catalogue online. Its basic lessons apply to searching other library catalogues and navigating them for other purposes too.
- Doing Archival Research. This module focuses on the basics of archival research, which remains at the heart of historians’ work. Material in the module includes locating repositories and collections, entering archives and requesting items, and handling materials.
- Doing Microform Research. This module focuses on using microfiche and microfilm, which remain important, fruitful, and accessible forms of historical research. Its research exercise focuses on different resources and strategies for research using British Columbian newspapers, but its basic lessons will support any kind of microform research.
- Doing Online Research. This module focuses on using online collections of digitized primary sources, which are becoming more and more common as a site of historical research. It includes an important discussion of browsing and searching as different kinds of research strategies. Its research exercise focuses on the digitized newspaper, the Cariboo Sentinel, but again, its basic lessons apply to other kinds of digital collections too.
- Doing Transcription. This module focuses on transcribing handwritten sources, a key skill without which huge swathes of the past could remain inaccessible to researchers. The module particularly focuses on nineteenth-century records, but the general principles and strategies for transcription remain relevant for other research contexts.
Finally, it is worth noting that the modules are not intended to be comprehensive, and there are forms of research – such as oral history – that have not been included here. If you have questions about this material or suggestions for improving these modules, please contact me.