HIST 204: Colonial Rule and Its Aftermaths in Africa: Research Tips

Borrow It!

If we don't own a book, or if our copy is checked out, you can borrow a copy from another library. Just search for the book in Williams WorldCat, and then choose "Request Item" to borrow it.

If you need help, just ask!

Researching Off Campus

Many of the resources on the A-Z Databases page are accessible anywhere you have an Internet connection. However, you will need to authenticate yourself as a Williams user. 

If you need help, just ask!

Research Appointments

Get one-on-one research help from a librarian! Librarians can help you:

• Choose a research topic
• Find appropriate sources to support your argument
• Cite your sources
• And much more!

Schedule Appointment

Finding Ebooks

You can find ebooks in the library catalog by doing a search for a topic, title, or author, and filtering your search results by:

• Availability: Full Text Online and Open Access
• Resource Type: Books

See a demo:

• Desktop
• Mobile/Tablet

You can also search directly in ebook provider platforms.

EZproxy Browser Extension

EZproxy is software that helps you connect to library resources from off-campus. Most of the time, it operates behind the scenes, like when you connect to something through the library catalog or A-Z List.

Use the browser extension when:

• You follow a link or citation and hit a paywall
• You prefer to start your research on the open web instead of using a library search tool

Get the extension:

• Chrome
• Firefox

Get it at Williams

Many of our databases have this button or this  button, which searches for the full-text of the article in our collections. If we don't have it electronically, look for the "Request article scan" link in the "Get It" section.

Searching Full-text Newspapers

• Think like a journalist. What words would they use?
• Use the vocabulary in use at the time. (e.g., Negroes instead of African American)
• Combine synonyms with OR to increase results. (e.g., conservatives OR right-wing)
• Use the asterisk (*) to get multiple endings of a word. (e.g., integrat* for integrate, integration, integrating, etc.)
• To get words closer together, use proximity operators. (See the database's help page for correct syntax.)
• Limit your search to "abstract" or "citation and abstract" (if available) to get more precise results.

Use Unpaywall

Unpaywall is an open database of millions of free scholarly articles. It includes open access content from over 50,000 publishers and repositories, and makes it easy to find, track, and use.

Request Scans and Delivery

We are working hard to provide access to the materials you need. You can request:

• scans of materials in our print collections
• scans of articles and physical materials from other libraries through interlibrary loan
• delivery of books from our collection and interlibrary loan.

Book Review Searching

• Search for the title of the book, enclosed in quotation marks ("World's Best Book")
• If the title is not very distinctive, add the author's last name
• Look for limit to "book review" or add search term "review"

Use Reference Sources

Begin your research by using reference sources to get: 

• ideas for your paper 
• overviews of a topic
• a list of recommended resources

Go beyond Wikipedia by using librarian-recommended reference sources.

Use a Citation Manager

A citation manager stores all your citations in a searchable database so that you can:

• Format your footnotes or endnotes automatically in the style of your choice (APA, Chicago, MLA, etc.).
• Format your bibliography automatically.
• Insert references into a Word document with a click.
• Create and format an annotated bibliography.

The library supports the desktop and online version of EndNote.

Use Local & State Resources

When you aren't at Williams, take advantage of resources that are in your own backyard!

• Get a Boston Public Library ecard
  • It provides remote access to online resources including audiobook and ebooks, streaming videos, and primary source databases
  • Anyone who lives, works, or goes to school in Massachusetts can get a card
• Check out the website of your local public library or a big public library in your state
  • Their collections may provide access to ebooks and databases not available at Williams
• Look for the visitor policy page of local colleges and universities
  • Many libraries allow free onsite access to their print and online collections (though they may limit access during the COVID-19 pandemic)
  • ​Some libraries charge a fee for access and/or borrowing
  • Contact a Williams librarian if you need an official letter to access a library

Connect Google Scholar to the Library

Don't pay for articles you find in Google Scholar. Learn how to connect Google Scholar to the library's holdings. 

Add the Google Scholar Button to your web browser

Overview (from the Chrome Web Store)

This extension adds a browser button for easy access to Google Scholar from any web page. Click the Scholar button to:

• Find full text on the web or in your university library. Select the title of the paper on the page you're reading, and click the Scholar button to find it. Make sure to connect Google Scholar to Williams Libraries first.
• Transfer your query from web search to Scholar. Press the Scholar button to see top three results; click "full screen" at the bottom of the popup to see them all.
• Format references in widely used citation styles. Press the quote button below the result to see a formatted reference and copy it into the paper you're writing.
• Save the article to your Scholar library, so you can read it or cite it later.  Press the blue star below the result to save it, or the gray star at the bottom to see all saved articles.

Learn more

Browsing the Stacks

Sawyer and Schow have a series of open shelving, also known as the stacks.  Having materials on open shelves allows you to go directly to the shelves and find the item you want.  Open shelving also gives you the opportunity to browse the titles located near your item of interest. 

The Libraries arrange materials on the shelves using the Library of Congress Classification System. This system groups together materials on similar subjects in the same call number range. Knowing the call number range for a particular subject will allow you to browse the shelves for materials.

Once you find a promising source, you can:

• use the Virtual Browse link in the library catalog to see other possibly relevant books around it
• note the call number of the source, and go to that area in the stacks to browse physically

Harvesting Subject Headings

Search tools like the library catalog and article databases use subject headings to describe sources and the topics they cover. You can use these subject headings to find other sources:

• Click on hyperlinked subject headings to find similar sources in the same search tool
• Make a list of the subject headings used to describe relevant sources. You can use these subject headings in other search tools to find similar items.

Combine multiple, similar subject headings using OR between them to create a broad, comprehensive search.

Browse Individual Journals

Because scholarly journals tend to have a very narrow focus, it can be helpful to browse through a specific journal, or special issue of a journal, to find relevant sources.

Once you find a promising source, you can:

• Click the hyperlinked title of the journal to see other articles from that journal
• Visit the website of the journal to browse issues or search by topic

Use Open Access Button

Finding Available Research

Give us a scholarly paper and we’ll search thousands of sources with millions of articles to link you to free, legal, full text articles instantly.

Requesting Research

If we can’t get you access, we’ll start a request for you. We request articles from authors, and guide them on making the work available to you and everyone who needs it.

How does it work?

Visit the Open Access Button website to search for articles or to download the browser extension.

Finding Information on an Artist or Work of Art

• Use the "Artist & Work" category in Art Abstracts
  
   
• Use the "subject" category in other search tools
  
   
• Use reference sources to get background information and additional sources
  
   
• Ask for help from a librarian!
   

Finding Information on an Author or Work of Literature

• In Literature Criticism Online or MLA International Bibliography, search for the name of the work:
  
  OR
  
   
• In Literature Criticism Online or MLA International Bibliography, search for the name of the author:
  
  OR
  
   
• Use the "subject" category in other search tools
  
   
• Ask for help from a librarian!
   

Install LibKey Nomad

LibKey Nomad automatically provides instant links to articles from journals subscribed to by Williams – and Open Access sources – connecting you to literature discovered on the web.  LibKey Nomad works with Williams to determines the fastest path to content across thousands of publishers and millions of articles, and also adds support to PubMed, Wikipedia and hundreds of other scholarly publisher websites and research databases.

After installation, LibKey Nomad prompts you to select your institution.  Simply select Williams and close the installation window. 

LibKey Nomad will then notify you of available articles wherever you may roam.