LibGuides: ENGL 286 Presidential Rhetoric: Resource Guide

Databases

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America: History and Life This link opens in a new window
America: History and Life is the definitive index of literature covering the history and culture of the United States and Canada from prehistory to the present. This databases indexes journal articles, book reviews, book chapters, dissertations, and more and is an essential tool for history research.
AM Explorer This link opens in a new window
AM Explorer provides access to 130+ digital primary source collections, with archives spanning the fifteenth to twenty-first centuries, across the humanities and social sciences. Access ends 12/31/24.
HeinOnline This link opens in a new window
Extensive collection of government publications and related materials. Includes title list and search tips.
Full text searching. Many titles include entire back file. Downloading as PDF and Text is limited to a maximum of 200 pages.

Political Science Resources A-Z
Check out this longer list of databases that might be useful for your research.

Social Sciences Full Text This link opens in a new window
Identifies articles in sociology, anthropology, geography, economics, politics and law, many with links to full text.
Abstracts included from 1994-current; full text for many articles from 1994-current.
JSTOR This link opens in a new window
Full text articles in many disciplines. To access JSTOR you may need to login with VPN .
Subject areas include African-American studies, anthropology, Asian studies, business, ecology, economics, education, finance, history, literature, mathematics, philosophy, political science, population studies, sociology, statistics. The University of Rochester Libraries currently subscribes to the following multidisciplinary JSTOR Collections: Arts and Sciences I through XV. JSTOR also packages their content in disciplinary collections; however, the only ones of these that we have licensed are the Biological Sciences segment and the first of the Business collections. For alumni access, see also Alumni Library Gateway.
Humanities Full Text This link opens in a new window
Identifies articles on art, architecture, dance, folklore, myth, film, journalism, music and religion. Many with links to full text.

Resources: First Ladies

C-SPAN: First Ladies
Audio/Visual Materials from or about First Ladies.
First Ladies: Michelle Obama
Remarks and Speeches made during the Obama presidency. Search Michelle Obama for specific remarks.
First Ladies: Hillary Clinton
Archived Remarks by First Lady Hillary Clinton.
National First Ladies Library and Museum

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Search phrases using quotation marks
- example: "to be or not to be"
Combine words with AND, OR, and NOT in capital letters
- example: microcircuits OR nanocircuits
Substitute * for several possible letters
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Complex searches may combine elements
- example: homeless AND (healthcare OR "health care") AND (adolescents OR teen*)

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Interrogating Primary Sources

Primary sources are documents or physical objects created at the time historical events occurred or well after events in the form of memoirs and oral histories. Examples include:

ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS (excerpts or translations acceptable): Diaries, speeches, manuscripts, letters, interviews, news film footage, autobiographies, official records
CREATIVE WORKS: Poetry, drama, novels, music, art
RELICS OR ARTIFACTS: Pottery, furniture, clothing, buildings

Secondary sources interpret and analyze primary sources. These sources are one or more steps removed from the event. Secondary sources may have pictures, quotes or graphics of primary sources in them. Examples include: Textbooks, journal articles, histories, criticisms, commentaries, and encyclopedias.

Interrogating Primary Sources

The SOAPS method and ask these questions questions about the source:

Subject: What is it talking about?

Occasion: When and where was this record created or found?

Audience: Who is it for?

Purpose: Why was it created? Why do I care?

Speaker: Who is speaking? Who created it?

SOAPS was originally developed by Tommy Boyle at the University of Texas, El Paso.

Humanities Librarian

Lindsey Baker

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Subjects: African & African American Studies, English

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Interlibrary Loan
Not finding the article or book you need in the library? Use this free service to obtain library resources. A pdf of an article is usually delivered in 24 - 48 hours.

Research Strategy

Graphics Created by Lindsey Baker.