Guides: HIST 321: The Sixties in Myth and Reality: Getting Started

In This Guide

In this guide, you will find resources to help you:

Choose your topic (this page): Information about reference resources and other introductory resources for your topic. Also contains tips for creating search terms to use while researching.
Find Sources: How to navigate the library's online collection to find books, articles, and other sources.
Find Primary Sources: How to navigate online collections and tools from the library and archives for historical resources. There also is information for visiting the Luther College Archives for in-person appointments.
Evaluate Sources: After you find sources, how do you know they are good for your project?

Preus has many more resources than the ones listed here. If you need help finding resources for your project, contact your librarian!

Creating Search Terms

Search terms, or keywords, are words or phrases we use to describe the topic we are researching. Using good search terms can make locating information easier. Some tips for brainstorming search terms include:

The 4 W's: What is the who, what, when, and where of your topic? The answers to these can all be helpful search terms. Use reference resources to help you find the answers if you do not know.
Synonyms: List as many synonyms for your topic as you can. If you need help, use the Merriam-Webster Thesaurus.
Mind Maps: Write your main topic in a circle. Draw smaller circles connected to your main topic and write different related subtopics. Repeat that step with your subtopics, writing in even more focused subtopics. See this example from MindTools.
Draw a Time Line: Create a timeline of events related to your topic using reference resources. These events and dates can help you narrow your topic focus.

Keep your list of terms you created while you work on your project. As you continue your research, you may want to create new search terms and remove ones that are not helpful. This is okay and part of the research process.

General Reference Resources

Cambridge Histories Online This link opens in a new window
Provides full text online access to the complete 250-plus volumes of Cambridge Histories reference series. Provides political, economic and social history, philosophy and literature of selected countries and subjects. Use the lower "Search Cambridge Histories" search box to find Luther-held content.
Credo Reference This link opens in a new window
An online collection of over 600 full-text reference works, including encyclopedias, dictionaries, and more.
Gale Virtual Reference Library This link opens in a new window
A collection of over 3,000 reference works, covering all disciplines.
Oxford Reference Online This link opens in a new window
This online source provides access to subject and language reference works from Oxford University Press. In addition to text, access is provided to maps and illustrations, timelines, web sites, and bibliographies.

The Columbia Guide to America in The 1960s by David Farber; Beth Bailey
Call Number: Ref E841 .C575 2001
ISBN: 0231113722
Publication Date: 2001-05-29
Print book. Ask your librarian if you need to access this item.

A guide to the 1960s, providing a brief overview of the decade; ten essays that examine some of the most significant issues of the era; alphabetically arranged entries that look at some of the most notable people, events, and movements of the sixties; relevant facts, figures, and opinions; a brief chronology; and an annotated bibliography.

The American sixties: a brief history -- John Kennedy and the promise of leadership -- The Civil Rights revolution -- The Great Society -- The Vietnam War -- Polarization -- Sixties culture -- New directions -- Conclusion -- Debating the sixties -- The sixties A to Z -- Short topical essays -- Special sections -- Chronology -- Annotated bibliography.
Historical Dictionary of the 1960s by James Stuart Olson
Publication Date: 1999-12-30
E-book access. This book takes an encyclopedic look at the decade of the 1960s, at the individuals who shaped the era, the civil rights movement, the antiwar movement, the women's movement and the youth rebellion. It covers the political, military, social, cultural, religious, economic and diplomatic topics that made the 60s a unique decade in US history.

Preface; The Dictionary; Chronology of the 1960s; Selected Bibliography; Index; About the Contributors.
Sixties in America Reference Library by Tom Pendergast; Sara Pendergast
ISBN: 1414405030
Publication Date: 2004
E-book access. The Sixties in America Reference Library presents a broad overview of the turbulent 1960s, a decade that forever changed the American social, political and cultural landscape.

V.1. Almanac -- v. 2. Biographies -- v. 3. Primary sources -- v. 4. Cumulative index.

HIST 321: The Sixties in Myth and Reality

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In This Guide

In this guide, you will find resources to help you:

Creating Search Terms

General Reference Resources

HIST 321: The Sixties in Myth and Reality

​Information & Research Help:

Find us on:

In This Guide

In this guide, you will find resources to help you:

Creating Search Terms

General Reference Resources

Information & Research Help: