Resources for Students

(advice tailored for the assignments in History 207 and History 208)

(see also the BLC Library Guide)

NOTE: For successful completion of their assignments, students should familiarize themselves with this entire guide, from top to bottom, including especially the section entitled "Eligible Journals."

 

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Getting Started

1. Go to the Bethany Lutheran College library web page: http://www.blc.edu/library/.
2. Scroll down to the box entitled "Journals & Articles."
3. Continue by selecting one of the options described below.

FALL 2012 NOTE: Some of the search engines described below have changed. If the instructions provided below do not work for you, then try visiting the college library's version of the instructions by clicking here.

EBSCOHost

1. Follow the “Getting Started” instructions (above) and then click on "EBSCOHost."
2. Now, click “Advanced Search.”
3. Type the first several words of the book’s title (excluding the initial “A” or “The”) in the first box, and select “TI Title” for the search field next to it. You might try to focus your search by enclosing the title in quotation marks, so that the phrase is searched as a phrase.
4. You might also enter the author’s last name in the next field, but do not select “Author” as the field; leave it unselected, since the book’s author is different than the article’s (book review’s) author.
5. Select “Book Review” as the Document Type (in the menu toward the bottom of the screen).
6. Click the “Search” button, and you should see a list of several book reviews. (If not, repeat the preceding steps, but uncheck the PDF Document box in order to allow for a broader search.)
7. Be sure that the review you select matches the title and author you were seeking, and that it is from an eligible journal (see “Eligible Journals,” below.)
8. Continue with “Obtaining a Copy of Your Review,” below.

JSTOR

1. Follow the “Getting Started” instructions (above) and then click on "JSTOR."
2. Type the first several words of the book’s title (excluding the initial “A” or “The”) in the search box, but do not click the search button or press ENTER yet. You might try to focus your search by enclosing the title in quotation marks, so that the phrase is searched as a phrase.
3. You might also enter the author’s last name in the next field, but do not select “Author” as the field; leave it unselected, since the book’s author is different than the article’s (book review’s) author.
4. In the discipline menu, select “History.”
5. Click the “Search” button, and you should see a list of several book reviews.
6. Be sure that the review you select matches the title and author you were seeking, and that it is from an eligible journal (see “Eligible Journals,” below.)
7. Continue with “Obtaining a Copy of Your Review,” below.

Project MUSE

1. Follow the “Getting Started” instructions (above) and then click on "Project MUSE."
2. Type the first several words of the book’s title (excluding the initial “A” or “The”) in the search box, but do not click the search button or press ENTER yet. You might try to focus your search by enclosing the title in quotation marks, so that the phrase is searched as a phrase.
3. You might also enter the author’s last name in the next field, but do not select “Author” as the field; leave it unselected, since the book’s author is different than the article’s (book review’s) author.
4. Under the “Type of Content” heading, click “Reviews Only” so that the box is checked.
5. In the discipline menu, select “History.” You might also try “American Studies” or, depending upon the topic of your book, “Politics.”
6. Click the “Search” button, and you should see a list of several book reviews.
7. Be sure that the review you select matches the title and author you were seeking, and that it is from an eligible journal (see “Eligible Journals,” below.)
8. Continue with “Obtaining a Copy of Your Review,” below.

Scholar.Google.Com

1. Go to scholar.google.com.
2. In the search box, type the first several words of the book’s title (excluding the initial “A” or “The”) and the phrase “book review.” You might try to focus your search by enclosing the title in quotation marks, so that the phrase is searched as a phrase.
3. You might also enter the author’s last name.
4. Press ENTER or click the search button.
5. Be sure that the review you select matches the title and author you were seeking, and that it is from an eligible journal (see “Eligible Journals,” below.)
6. Continue with “Obtaining a Copy of Your Review,” below.

Obtaining a Copy of Your Review

1. Note that some of the online database entries offer “Full Text,” “HTML,” or “PDF” reproductions of the article online. Click one of these (PDF is generally better, if available) and print the book review article.
2. If an online copy is not available, then search in the online college catalog for the journal in which the review article appears, and then obtain a copy from the shelves. You also may look in the History Corner (Meyer Hall 311), where the History Dept. houses its private college of journals. These are NOT indexed on the online catalog, so you have to browse in person.
3. If the journal is not available at the college library, than ask a library staff member to assist you with interlibrary loan.

Eligible Journals

1. Your assignment requires two reviews from a scholarly journal. Examples include (but are not limited to):
   • American Historical Review
   • American Quarterly
   • Church History
     
   • Historian
   • Journal of African American History
     
   • Journal of American History
   • Journal of American Studies
   • Journal of the Early Republic
   • Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion
     
   • Journal of Social History
     
   • Journal of Southern History
   • Journal of Women’s History
     
   • Journal of Politics
   • Reviews in American History
     
2. If you cannot find a sufficient number of reviews from scholarly journals, a somewhat scholarly magazine or newspaper may be substituted, such as one of the following:
   • Atlantic Monthly
   • Books and Culture
     
   • Christianity Today
3. Avoid reviews that appear in newspapers, popular magazines, or trade magazines, since they’ll be too brief and shallow to be helpful for this assignment. Examples of publications to avoid include:
   • Booklist (avoid!)
   • Library Journal (avoid!)
   • Newsweek (avoid!)
   • New York Review of Books (avoid!)
   • Publishers' Weekly (avoid!)
   • Time (avoid!)
4. If you are unsure, consult the instructor. The student assumes full responsibility for any reviews that are deemed ineligible.

Citing Your Review

Historians use the Chicago Style of citations and bibliographies. For detailed instructions, refer to Kate L. Turabian, A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, 7th ed. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2007). For a brief overview, refer to the online Turabian Citation Guide. Note that the assignments for History 207 and History 208 will involve the "Notes" and "Bibliography" styles provided in this online resource, and that scholarly journals have a different citation format than newpapers and magazines.