Using Databases
Research in the AP African American Studies Class - Lesson 2
Where to find different databases
Gale in Context: World History - let’s browse
Gale in Context: World History - Keyword Searches
Gale OneFile: High School Edition - Topic Finder
Gale OneFile: High School Edition - Advanced Search
Gale OneFile: High School Edition - Tools for students
Types of sources
For this project, students select four sources relevant to their topic. They may select from any combination of the following source types:
AP African American Studies
Digital Public Library of America
The DPLA aggregates millions of documents from several member institutions.
3
https://dp.la/
Digital Public Library of America
The listed organizations do not endorse and are not affiliated with this project. The images and logos shown are the trademarks and copyrights of their respective owners.
Place your screenshot here
and then reorder objects so the laptop is in front of the screenshot
Approach 3:
Step 1: Type the topic in quotation marks in the search bar.
Digital Public Library of America
The listed organizations do not endorse and are not affiliated with this project. The images and logos shown are the trademarks and copyrights of their respective owners.
Place your screenshot here
and then reorder objects so the laptop is in front of the screenshot
Approach 3:
Explore the results.
Step 2: If necessary, use the date section in the column to the left to filter to the correct date range.
Step 3: Use the “type” filter in the column to the left to select a source type of interest.
2003
2023
Digital Public Library of America
The listed organizations do not endorse and are not affiliated with this project. The images and logos shown are the trademarks and copyrights of their respective owners.
Place your screenshot here
and then reorder objects so the laptop is in front of the screenshot
In some cases, you may find sources that are relevant, but they lack detail and context; it may be best to move on to another option.
In some cases, you may find sources that are not relevant to your research question; move on to another option.
Hint: DPLA provides better results for historical topics. It may not be the best tool for contemporary topics like the political activism of LeBron James.
Digital Public Library of America
The listed organizations do not endorse and are not affiliated with this project. The images and logos shown are the trademarks and copyrights of their respective owners.
Place your screenshot here
and then reorder objects so the laptop is in front of the screenshot
Hint: DPLA tends to provide much stronger results for historical topics. It may be effective for historical topics like the role of Ella Baker in the Civil Rights Movement, but it may be less effective for Lebron James in the present.
In some cases, you will find secondary sources that could be a
sources for the project.
In some cases, you will find primary sources that could be a
sources for the project.
Digital Public Library of America
The listed organizations do not endorse and are not affiliated with this project. The images and logos shown are the trademarks and copyrights of their respective owners.
Place your screenshot here
and then reorder objects so the laptop is in front of the screenshot
Approach 3:
Pros: | Cons: |
|
|
Umbra Search African American History
The Umbra brings together digitized materials from over 1,000 libraries and archives.
4
https://www.umbrasearch.org/
Umbra Search African American History
The listed organizations do not endorse and are not affiliated with this project. The images and logos shown are the trademarks and copyrights of their respective owners.
Place your screenshot here
and then reorder objects so the laptop is in front of the screenshot
Approach 4:
Step 1: Type the topic in quotation marks in the search bar.
Umbra Search African American History
The listed organizations do not endorse and are not affiliated with this project. The images and logos shown are the trademarks and copyrights of their respective owners.
Place your screenshot here
and then reorder objects so the laptop is in front of the screenshot
Approach 4:
Explore the results.
Step 2: If necessary, use the key word feature in the column to the left to refine your results.
Umbra Search African American History
The listed organizations do not endorse and are not affiliated with this project. The images and logos shown are the trademarks and copyrights of their respective owners.
Place your screenshot here
and then reorder objects so the laptop is in front of the screenshot
In some cases, you will have results that
could be a potential source for the project.
In some cases, you may find sources that are not relevant to your research question; move on to another option.
Hint: Umbra tends to provide more results for historical topics. It can be an effective tool for finding visual works and items of material culture.
Umbra Search African American History
The listed organizations do not endorse and are not affiliated with this project. The images and logos shown are the trademarks and copyrights of their respective owners.
Place your screenshot here
and then reorder objects so the laptop is in front of the screenshot
Approach 3:
Pros: | Cons: |
|
|
Database | Description |
Internet Archive | An online library with free digital access books and other media. A free account is required for access. |
SlaveVoyages | A database on the transatlantic and intercontinental slave trade. |
Internet African History Sourcebook | A database of primary source documents related to the history for Africa. |
BlackPast | A repository of resources related to African American history and culture. |
Library of Congress | A large digital collection of primary source documents spanning much of U.S. History. |
Art Inventory Catalog, Smithsonian Institution | A searchable database of the Smithsonian’s art collection. |
Readex African American Newspapers | Online access to 280 African America newspapers dating from 1827 to 1998. A paid subscription is required for access. |
Chronicling America | An online database with full access to numerous U.S. newspapers from 1770 to 1963. |
StoryCorps Griot | Online access to a large collection of oral history interviews about African American experiences. |
Colored Convention Project | An online exhibit and collection of primary sources from the convention movement. |
Project Muse | Online access to full-text peer-reviewed journals from scholarly publishers. A paid subscription is required for access. |
JSTOR | Online access to full-text articles from multiple scholarly journals. Teachers and students can access JSTOR at no cost via AP Classroom. |
Works Cited
College Board. “AP Classroom.” AP African American Studies Course Guide, College Board, 2023, https://apclassroom.collegeboard.org/. Accessed 15 December 2024.