History Research Guide
How to Cite Sources
<p><strong>Most History journals endorse <a href=""http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html">The
Chicago Manual of Style</a> of citing work. Here are some examples:
Journal Article
Merrills, A.H. “Mapping Paradise: A History of Heaven on Earth.” American Historical Review 112, no. 5 (2007): 1482-84.
Article from an online database
Kalman, Laura. “The Constitution, the Supreme Court, and the New Deal.” American Historical Review 110, no. 4 (October 2005) http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=18772294&site=ehost-live. Accessed June 21, 2008.
Book
Kissinger, Henry. Ending the Vietnam War : a history of America's involvement in and extrication from the Vietnam War. New York : Simon & Schuster, 2003.
Web Site
Outline of U.S. History, http://usinfo.state.gov/products/pubs/histryotln/index.htm. Accessed June 21, 2008.
Primary Sources
A primary source is a document, recording or other source of information that was created at roughly the time being studied, by an authoritative source, usually one with direct personal knowledge of the events being described. A primary source could be a first-handed source from the past including diaries or artifacts. (A secondary source is a work that interprets or analyzes an historical event or phenomenon. It is generally at least one step removed from the event. Examples include scholarly or popular books and articles, reference books, and textbooks.)
More on finding and using primary sources: http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/instruct/guides/primarysources.html
Also Important:
Plagiarism - what is it? how to avoid it.