The Family Ties
by Chao Chen, Humanities Reference Librarian
chao.chen@tufts.edu |
617.627.2057 |
Homepage
| Research Essay | |||
| Conduct historical research (using primary sources) to | |||
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“reconstruct a place, experience, person, or event, or a social, economic, or political change” “verify and contextualize” the story or memory of your interviewee. |
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| What Are Primary Sources? | |||
The body of first-hand accounts, observations, written, oral, or visual, created during the time period in question are collectively referred to as primary sources; these also include original data recorded. Secondary sources are works that comment on, analyze, summarize, or interpret the material found in primary sources. Some sources may serve as either primary or secondary sources, depending upon how you use them. For instance, newspapers can function as primary or secondary sources. If you use a newspaper article as a source of information, it’s a secondary source. If you analyze the way a newspaper article represents something, or treat these articles as cultural artifacts of a past time, it’s a primary source. |
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| Your Librarian's Sample Interpretation of the Assignment: | ||||
| What | Who | When | Where | |
| Experience/Event (your interviewee's story / memory) |
Person (your interviewee) | Time (social, economic, political change) |
Place | |
| For example: What was college education like for an ethnic minority during the 70s in Boston? | ||||
| Tip. Select World News Digest; browse by: | ||
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| Also consult, particularly for information about foreign countries: | ||
| The Statesman's Year-book, 1890-2009. (Stacks: JA51 .S7) | ||
| World Almanac, 1894 -2009. (Stacks: AY67.N5 W7). | ||
Historical Newspapers:
New York Times 1851 -three years before current date
Times (of London) Digital Archive1785 - 1985.
Ethnic NewsWatch: A History (1960 - 1989) (ethnic, minority and native presses)
American Newspapers (1690 - 1922)
Early Newspapers on Microforms (at Tisch Library)
U. S. and Foreign Newspapers on Micorforms (at Widener Library, Havrad University)
Other significant newspaper collections can be found in the
Boston Public Library Newspaper Room
State Library of Massachusetts Newspapers and Periodicals.
(The full texts of regional newspapers may not be available, but the one or two lines of summary offers highlights of the news story.)
Historical Magazines:
Nation, The 1865 - (the oldest continuously published weekly journal in America)
New Republic 1914 -
National Review 1955 - (with a conservative viewpoint)
Time Magazine 1923-
British Periodicals (1680s - 1930s)
Search across some of the oldest continuously published magazines in America in OpinionArchives
The articles searched are from the entire archives of each journal. Several of the journals may omit the recent issues, but most journals are current with the print publications.
American Spectator
Commentary
Commonweal
Dissent
Harpers Magazine
NACLA
The Nation
The National Review
The New Republic
New York Review
The New Yorker
In Print
Foreign Broadcast Information Service (1974-1996; some records may of earlier dates)
FBIS is a United States government operation which translates the text of daily broadcasts, government statements, and select news stories from non-English sources around the world. One report with translations is issued for each of eight world regions for each day.
Women and Social Movements 1600-2000
Women Working 1800 - 1930
Gerritsen Collection late 19th century - . (The study of women’s history)
Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature (1900 -2004) (Tisch ReferenceL [GEN] AI3 .R48)
(Index of popular and general interest magazines published in the United States and Canada.)
1. Search for letters, correspondence, personal narratives, memoirs, diaries, interviews, and so on in the Tufts Library Catalog:
2. WorldCat (catalogs of libraries worldwide)
Procedure Note:
1. Verify if Tufts Library has the book you need.
2. Use ILliad (interlibrary loan service) to request non-Tufts books.
Use the Advanced Keyword search mode:
Click to see the search results.
Click to see the search results. Speeches and Adresses Vital Speeches of the Day, 1933 - present. (Bound Periodicals; PN6121 .V52) |
Use the Advanced Keyword search for photographs and so on:
Click to see the search results.
Click to see the search results. Search, for music or documentary films by selecting a format in the Library Catalog:
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- Genealogists/Family Historians
- Veterans and their Families
Contact Connie Reik, our government documents specialist.
Presidential speeches
Government Document
Manuscript
Photographs and Images
Historical Statistics of the US Online
Cambridge University Press publishes this title, the millennial edition, with the permission of the U.S. Census Bureau. This compendium of statistics includes over 37,000 data series on various topics.
Tip: search by the key word, “marriage” and you will find statistic tables such as
Marriage and divorce rates: 1920-1995
Live births, deaths, infant deaths, marriages, and divorces, by race: 1909-1998
Aliens naturalized, by provision: 1907-1997
U.S. Census Bureau , including the following titles:
The Statistical Abstract of the United States1878 - present.
The authoritative and comprehensive summary of statistics on the social, political, and economic organization of the United States.Tips:
1. Use the Abstract as a convenient volume for statistical reference, and as a guide to sources of more information both in print and on the Web.
2. There is a "Summary Statistics" section which provides access to USA Statistics in Brief, Historical Statistics including population, immigration, financial, and health data for as far back as 1900, and State Rankings for various topics including population, income and employment.Example: browse by the section of "Education"; look at "Education: Higher Education: Institutions and Enrollment".
Select "Earlier Editions" from the menu bar for earlier years.USA Counties
USA Counties features over 5,900 data items for the United States, States and counties from a variety of sources. Files include data published for 2006 estimates and many items from the 2000 Census of Population and Housing, the 1990 census, the 1980 census and the 2002, 1997, 1992, 1987, 1982 and 1977 economic censuses.Tip: Use the print copies for earlier years: County and city data book. 1949-2000. (Stacks: HA202 .A36)
Use print versions:
Datapedia of the United States, 1790-2000: America year by year. (Ref. HA202 .K87 1994)
Historical statistics of the United States: earliest times to the present. Millennial ed. (Ref. HA202 .H57 2006)
Statistical Universe
Statistical information from the U.S. government, including the Statistical Abstract of the United States and other sources. Online version of American Statistics Index, Statistical Reference Index, and Index to International Statistics.
International
United Nations (UN) Statistics Division - Demographic and Social Concerns (Online data available for 1985-2003)
Basic education data including enrollment rates, expenditure and school life expectancy for over 100 countries worldwide.
Tip: use, for earlier years, the print volumes: Demographic yearbook. (1951-2004; earlier years in Book Stacks: HA17 .D45)
Statistical yearbook, United Nations. 1948- present. (earlier years in Book Stacks: HA12.5 .U63)
An annual compilation of a wide range of international economic, social and environmental statistics on over 200 countries and areas of the world, compiled from sources including UN agencies and other international, national and specialized organizations.
International historical statistics: Africa, Asia & Oceania, 1750-2000. (Ref. HA4675 .M552 2003)
International historical statistics: Europe, 1750-2000. (Ref. HA1107 .M5 2003)
International historical statistics: the Americas, 1750-2000. (Ref. HA175 .M55 2003)
Europa World Plus
For earlier years, use print volumes "The Europa year book" (Tisch bookstacks: JA51 .E85 1959) and many other years; 1960-1988 covers entire world.
The Historical Dictionaries
Historical dictionary of India. (Tisch Reference: DS405 .M27 2006)
Historical dictionary of Colombia. (Tisch Book Stacks: F2254 .D38)
Statistical Universe
Statistical information from the U.S. government, including the Statistical Abstract of the United States and other sources. Online version of American Statistics Index, Statistical Reference Index, and Index to International Statistics.
Education (United States)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
The summary-level data is pulled from several NCES publications including the Digest of Education Statistics, Condition of Education, National Education Data Research Center (NEDRC) and Education Statistics Quarterly.
120 Years of American Education: A Statistical Portrait (3,122KB pdf) Education statistics for elementary, secondary, and higher education from 1870 – 1990.
State Comparisons of Education Statistics 1969-70 to 1996-97 (2,376KB pdf) State comparisons of enrollment, graduation, achievement, staffing, and finance statistics over a 27-year period.
Source publication for earlier years: Digest of Educational Statistics. (1967-1978) (Tisch Book Stacks: L112 .D48)
Census Bureau
Education indicators from the Census Bureau include attainment, enrollment, finances and employment in public schools and financial aid. Using the Subjects A-Z link, search for education data under the “Education” heading as well as the “School” heading.
For example, Historical Educational Attainment Reports from 1940 through 1998
National Education Association (NEA)
The Almanac of Higher Education (1995-2007)
For 1989-1995, use the print version in Tisch Book Stacks: LA226 .A556
Provides data relating to faculty salaries, enrollment, student activities, demographics of college faculty and presidents, etc.
International
(Use international sources above for earlier years.)
EdStats
The World Bank's database of education statistics brings together data collected by various national and international organizations.
International Comparisons in Education
Links to data from international comparisons in education, and to various reports compiled from this data by the National Center for Education Statstics.
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Education statistics cover pre-primary, primary, secondary, post-secondary non-tertiary, and tertiary education. Includes education indicators on enrollment, literacy, staff, education expenditures, and gender disparities.
IM: TischLibrarian
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