Librarian
Starting Point: the Top Resources for HIST 3469
The great thing about research related to political history is that many of your sources are in the public domain, and available online. But sometimes that poses its own challenges--too many databases to search can be overwhelming. These are the top six resources that you should consult as part of your research:
- National Security Archive *Recently Added*The National Security Archive’s holdings include numerous donations of declassified documents from scholars and journalists, as well as the results of 35+ years of Freedom of Information Act requests.
- Digital National Security Archive This link opens in a new windowThe Digital National Security Archive includes 38 collections of declassified documents, consisting of over 94,000 indexed documents, with more than 650,000 total pages. Each of these collections, compiled by top scholars and experts, exhaustively covers the most critical world events, countries, and U.S. policy decisions from post World War II through the 21st century.
- Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS) This link opens in a new windowContains FBIS daily reports from 1941-1996. These reports consist of translations or transcriptions of intercepted radio broadcasts from foreign governments, official news services, and clandestine broadcasts from occupied territories. A major resource of the U.S. intelligence community.
- Foreign Relations of the United StatesThe Foreign Relations of the United States series is the official documentary historical record of major U.S. foreign policy decisions that have been declassified and edited for publication. Organized by year and topically within years. As of fall 2020, the volumes are complete through the Carter Administration (1980).
- ProQuest Congressional This link opens in a new windowA comprehensive collection of Congressional documents from 1789 to the present. Use advanced search to limit by document type.
- U.S. Declassified Documents Online This link opens in a new window
Provides full-text, declassified documents from U.S. government agencies, including the CIA, FBI, White House, State Department, and others.
- Wilson Center Digital ArchiveThe Digital Archive contains once-secret documents from governments all across the globe, uncovering new sources and providing fresh insights into the history of international relations and diplomacy.
Top Tips
- When searching in ProQuest Congressional, use the advanced search to limit result types and set a specific date range
- Use names of important figures/people to limit broad topical searches
- If you do not find full-text online, look for a SuDoc number to search the catalog and see if we have a physical copy in Coates Library. If not, considering requesting it through interlibrary loan!