Skip to Main Content

HIST 2301 TR McCambridge: Find Articles

This guide will help you locate sources for the critical thinking reports in Mr. McCambridge's Texas History course.

Database Search Tips

Scholarly research articles...

book an appointment now

  • Different than books, but generally you will find that both can be helpful in your research.
  • Generally shorter than books...usually fewer than 30 pages. That means that they have to be more focused, with less overview information.
  • Published more quickly than books, so they also tend to contain more up-to-date information.
  • Can be found by searching the library's collection of databases.

See below for more information about what databases are and how to use them.

Need help searching a database? Schedule an appointment with the librarian to get focused, one-on-one help. 

Databases to Try

Wondering which database to use?

That depends on what you want to find.  Knowing what you are looking for can help you choose a good database for your search.

Try one of these databases for general information about your topic including how your topic has been addressed by historians.

Looking for primary sources related to your topic?  Do you need that first-hand evidence or original document?  Try one of these databases:

Keyword Tips

The American Triad of Agriculture: 

Instead of:  Try this:
North American tribes Native American, Indigenous people, American Indians, Native peoples, First Nations
American Triad "Three Sisters," corn, beans, squash, maize
agriculture farming, crops, cultivated crops, domesticated crops

Spanish Methods of Settlement and Control

Instead of: Try this:
Spanish settlement Spanish colonization, Spanish colonies Americas
Catholic church Catholic missions, Catholicism and exploration

Describe the Tribal Differences

Instead of: Try this:
Plains India Indigenous peoples of the Great Plains, Great Plains tribes
social structure societal, organizational, political structure

The Tejano Culture

Instead of:  Try this:
Canary Islanders Canary Island colonists, Spanish Texas settlers, New Spain settlers
Vaccaro vaquero, Tejano ranching, rancheros

Napoleonic Wars Cause Revolution in Mexico, North & South American Holdings

Instead of: Try this:
North and South American holdings Spanish American colonies, Latin American colonies, colonial Latin America, New Spain
Guadalupe Hidalgo revolt Miguel Hidalgo, Bajio, Iturbide AND Mexican Independence

The Texas Revolution

Instead of: Try this:
Anglo settlers Anglo-American immigration Texas
Empresarios empresario grant Texas, empresario contract Texas

 

What is a Database?

Library Databases - The Used Car Salesman (:36 seconds)
Courtesy BYU Library

 

Magazine and journal articles are found using an online tool called a database.  Basically, a database acts like an online file cabinet containing many different resources that relate to each other by their subject or topic.

Search the databases to find articles from both scholarly and popular sources.

Remember:  When off campus, you must login with your Web Advisor username and password to access a database through TCC libraries.