Encyclopedias can be a great way to begin research. Encyclopedia articles give a broad overview of a topic and will lead you to more specific sources.
Gale eBooks
Selected dictionaries, encyclopedias, and reference books in many subjects.
Credo Reference
Articles from dictionaries, general and subject encyclopedias, handbooks, atlases, and more.
Gale eBooks
Selected dictionaries, encyclopedias, and reference books in many subjects. Credo Reference
Articles from dictionaries, general and subject encyclopedias, handbooks, atlases, and more.
JSTOR
Scholarly articles, ebooks, and primary sources in the social sciences, humanities, earth and biological sciences, and more. Includes images from libraries, museums, and archives.
American History (Infobase)
American political, military, social, and cultural history including daily life in America. Includes topic overviews, timelines, charts and maps, and some primary sources.
African American History
500 years of African-American history.
American Indian History (Infobase)
American Indian history and cultures from first contact with colonizers to the present. Includes topic overviews, timelines, charts and maps, some primary sources, and a tribe index.
Minnesota History Magazine Index
Online Archive & Index
Scholarly articles, ebooks, and primary sources in the social sciences, humanities, earth and biological sciences, and more. Includes images from libraries, museums, and archives. American History (Infobase)
American political, military, social, and cultural history including daily life in America. Includes topic overviews, timelines, charts and maps, and some primary sources.
African American History
500 years of African-American history.
American Indian History (Infobase)
American Indian history and cultures from first contact with colonizers to the present. Includes topic overviews, timelines, charts and maps, some primary sources, and a tribe index.
Minnesota History Magazine Index
Scholarly magazine on Minnesota history. Browse this A-Z topic index to find links to articles that mention topics, people, or places of interest. Index covers articles published from 1915-2017. For more recent articles, browse each issue online at the Minnesota History archive by date.
Online Archive & Index
Minnesota History: The Quarterly of the Minnesota Historical Society (print)
Minnesota History: The Quarterly of the Minnesota Historical Society is a peer-reviewed magazine. Normandale Library owns print issues from 1925-present. The most recent issue can be found in the Magazine Collection. For older issues, as at the Circulation Desk.
Minnesota Historical Society: Collections Online
A searchable database of photographs, art and posters covering Minnesota history.
Minnesota History Center LibGuides
These guides will help you find sources (primary and secondary) for a variety of topics related to Minnesota history.
Digital Public Library of America - Primary Source Sets
Selected primary source materials organized by topic. From notable archives, museums, and libraries across the country.
HathiTrust Digital Library
Digital collections of the libraries of major research universities.
Archives Unbound - FBI Files (Gale Primary Sources)
Minnesota Digital Library – formerly Minnesota Reflections
Images, maps, documents, and other primary sources from Minnesota history.
Historical Newspapers
Minnesota Historical Newspapers Hub
Full-text issues of Minnesota Newspapers dated back to 1849 and up to 1925
Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers
Images of selected historical newspaper pages from 1777-1963. Use the U.S. Newspaper Directory to find out which newspapers existed in a specific place and time (1690-present).
A searchable database of photographs, art and posters covering Minnesota history.
Minnesota History Center LibGuides
These guides will help you find sources (primary and secondary) for a variety of topics related to Minnesota history.
Digital Public Library of America - Primary Source Sets
Selected primary source materials organized by topic. From notable archives, museums, and libraries across the country.
HathiTrust Digital Library
Digital collections of the libraries of major research universities.
Archives Unbound - FBI Files (Gale Primary Sources)
Three collections of previously classified FBI files on groups within social movements in the 1960s and 1970s:
* "We Were Prepared for the Possibility of Death": Freedom Riders in the South, 1961
* The Black Liberation Army and the Program of Armed Struggle
* The American Indian Movement and Native American Radicalism
Minnesota Digital Library – formerly Minnesota Reflections
Images, maps, documents, and other primary sources from Minnesota history.
Historical Newspapers
Minnesota Historical Newspapers Hub
Full-text issues of Minnesota Newspapers dated back to 1849 and up to 1925
Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers
Images of selected historical newspaper pages from 1777-1963. Use the U.S. Newspaper Directory to find out which newspapers existed in a specific place and time (1690-present).
Choosing a research topic can take a bit of trial and error. After choosing a topic, you may need to refine it as you start your research. Watch the video below from North Carolina State University Library to understand the research cycle.
Refining Your Topic
Use this guide from Golden Gate University for addtional tips and information for refining your topic.
Refining Your Topic
Use this guide from Golden Gate University for addtional tips and information for refining your topic.
Primary Sources: Provide direct or firsthand evidence
Can be Qualitative or Quantitative Data
Examples: Diaries, speeches, photographs, census data, and other government documents, newspaper articles
Secondary Sources: Produced after the event and analyze or interpret in some way.
Examples: biographies, scholarly Articles, encyclopedias, newspapers
Can be Qualitative or Quantitative Data
Examples: Diaries, speeches, photographs, census data, and other government documents, newspaper articles
Secondary Sources: Produced after the event and analyze or interpret in some way.
Examples: biographies, scholarly Articles, encyclopedias, newspapers
Call, e-mail, or chat with a librarian for more research assistance. We're happy to help!
(952) 358-8290
Email
David Vrieze DanielsReference and Instruction Librarian
david.vriezedaniels@normandale.edu
Note: Your chat question may be directed to a librarian from another college when Normandale librarians are unavailable.
Online Library Access Info
To access databases and other Library resources, login with your StarID and password when prompted. Access is only available to current Normandale students and employees.
To access databases and other Library resources, login with your StarID and password when prompted. Access is only available to current Normandale students and employees.
Evaluate each source you use with CAPPS!
Consider the source's –
Consider the source's –
C = Currency
A = Author
P = Publication
P = Point of View
S = Sources
More info about CAPPS A = Author
P = Publication
P = Point of View
S = Sources
MLA Quick Guide (PDF)
See MLA citation examples for the most common types of sources (9th edition).
MLA Formatting and Style Guide (OWL at Purdue)
This website offers examples for the general format of MLA research papers, in-text citations, and the Works Cited page. Uses MLA 9th edition.
See MLA citation examples for the most common types of sources (9th edition).
MLA Formatting and Style Guide (OWL at Purdue)
This website offers examples for the general format of MLA research papers, in-text citations, and the Works Cited page. Uses MLA 9th edition.
Chicago Quick Guide
Official guides to the two formats of Chicago Style. Use ONE of the following formats:
Chicago Manual of Style Guide (OWL Purdue)
A guide to the Chicago citation style, based on the Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition).
Official guides to the two formats of Chicago Style. Use ONE of the following formats:
- Notes and Bibliography format guide
- Author-Date format guide
Chicago Manual of Style Guide (OWL Purdue)
A guide to the Chicago citation style, based on the Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition).