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Sue Cody
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Background and Overview

ENCYCLOPEDIAS

World War I: Encyclopedia. (5 vols.) UNCW Reference D510 .E53 2005

The Marshall Cavendish Illustrated Encyclopedia of World War I. UNCW Reference D522.5 .M39 1984

The United States in the First World War : An Encyclopedia. UNCW Reference D510 .U65 1995 

CHRONOLOGIES

Chronicle of the First World War. UNCW Reference D523 .G634 1990

DICTIONARIES

Biographical Dictionary of World War I. UNCW Reference D507 .H47 1982   

The Dictionary of the First World War. UNCW Reference D510 .P66 1996 

ATLASES

Atlas for the Great War. UNCW REF Atlas G1037 .A84 1986

Atlas of World War I. UNCW REF Atlas G1037 .G5 1994

A Military Atlas of the First World War. UNCW REF Atlas G1037 .B3 1975

BIBLIOGRAPHIES

Bibliographic Guide to the Two World Wars. UNCW Reference D521 .B39

A Subject Bibliography of the First World War. UNCW Reference D521 .E64

World War I Memories: An Annotated Bibliography of Personal Accounts Published in English Since 1919. UNCW Reference D640 .A2 L54 2001

WEBSITES

The Great War and the Shaping of the 20th Century. http://www.pbs.org/greatwar/

U.S Army Center for Military History. http://www.history.army.mil/

Wars and Conflict: World War One. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/war/wwone/

World War I: Trenches on the Web. http://www.worldwar1.com/

Searching Catalogs for Books, Videos, etc.

1. Randall Library Online Catalog: http://library.uncwil.edu (Library Home Page)

For access to materials in Randall Library: includes sophisticated search capabilities like limiting by language and format or combining subject headings. Also allows users to send search results to their email addresses.

1. WorldCat : From the Library Home Page, choose the "Database& Article Searching" link, then choose the "WorldCat" link.

WorldCat is the union catalog of books, web resources, and other material located worldwide cataloged by OCLC member libraries (approximately 26,000 libraries.) Books in the catalog are generally available via Interlibrary Loan, and many of the websites are freely available. .

Search Tips:
Case does not matter. Punctuation marks are not needed.
Keyword searches will likely retrieve something on your subject. This type of search looks in practically all parts of the catalog record, and is the only way to access the data in the Contents Notes field of records. However, if you are not using the terms catalogers use to identify a subject, keyword searches may actually retrieve fewer items than a subject search.
Subject searches use a controlled vocabulary, bring more consistency to searches, organizing records by subtopics. Library of Congress Subject Headings are used in both the local catalog and in WorldCat.The main subject heading for World War I is: World War, 1914-1918
Primary Source Subheadings: There are several subject subheadings used to identify books or other resources that are compilations of primary source material. Look for:

correspondence* diaries* interviews* literary collections personal narratives pictorial works

posters songs and music sources speeches, addresses, etc.* treaties

*These subheadings are typically used under Subject Headings for individuals, e.g., Wilson, Woodrow or terms describing groups of people, e.g., Soldiers.

How to Identify Primary Sources in the Online Catalog:
Step 1: Subject search for World War, 1914-1918
Step 2: At the top of the results page click on Limit/Sort
Step 3: Click on arrow next to Words in the Author and change it to Words in the Subject
Step 4: Type in (choose one): Sources
Personal narratives
Pictorial works
Posters
Treaties
Literary collections
Songs and music

Step 5: Click on Limit/Sort items retrieved using above data, button

Search country names as subjects. Under country names with the subheading History, you will often find further chronological subheadings, e.g. France--History--1914-1940 (Keep in mind that Russia became the Soviet Union in 1917. Use both country names.) Many of the collections of foreign or diplomatic relations documents cover a longer period that just the war, so search for these volumes by country name with the subheading "Foreign relations." For example:
Soviet Union--Foreign relations
Russia--Foreign relations
Great Britain--Foreign relations

Identify key participants and publications associated with your topic:
When looking at reference sources, pick out names of people, organizations, and governmental agencies that were participants, and any publications such as reports, newsletters, magazines, pamphlets, etc. that they produced in conjunction with the events or developments you are researching.

Author searches for the key participants (individuals, organizations, agencies or other groups) will retrieve records for materials that were written or produced by them either at the time of the event or later will, in most cases, be primary sources.

More on Subject Searching:  

Catalogers use the most precise subject heading to describe a publication.  For instance, a book on France during WWI may have the heading
World War, 1914-1918 -- France, but will not appear in the more general items with the subject heading World War 1914-1918 only.

Searching both broad and narrow headings and looking for related headings will yield better results. 

Just because an item's subject heading does not include "History" as a subdivision does not mean it has no history in it.  In particular, look at the publication date.  It may be a source contemporary to the period, i. e., a primary source.

Even if you are doing a keyword search, using phrases from the subject headings typically improves the relevance of your results.  For example, a keyword search World War 1914 is preferable to World War I

Browsing

After finding some sources through searching the online catalog, be sure to browse the shelves near these times.  The call numbers are devised to place materials on the same subject together on the shelf. 

 

In the catalog, the call number is presented as a link, so you can even browse the shelves when searching the catalog:

 

You may also wish to browse the Reference Collection to see what special sources are available. A basic outline of the Library of Congress Classification scheme is at http://www.loc.gov/catdir.cosi.lcco.html

Journal Databases & Indexes
Use these specialized databases and journal indexes to search for articles in journals and magazines.

America: History & Life and Historical Abstracts  Indexes and summarizes articles and reviews published since 1954 in over 1,700 history journals. 
JSTOR Full-text searching of an archive of over 40 history and 25 political science journals.  Typically excludes the latest 3-5 years of publication.
PAIS Archive Public Affairs Information Service contains references to monographs, periodical articles, notes and announcements, and analytics. Indexes publications issued between 1915 and 1976.
Royal Historical Society Bibliography Indexes journal articles, books and book chapters on British Isles, British empire and commonwealth.

FOR NEWSPAPERS & JOURNALS PUBLISHED DURING THE WAR
International Index to Periodical Literature (1907-1965) INDEX AI3 .R5
Readers' Guide Retrospective(1890-1982) Indexes about 250 popular US magazines, but no full-text is provided. However, the library has many of these magazines in paper or microfilm.
New York Times Archive Full image online access to the NYT from 1851-2001.
Palmer's Index to the Times Newspaper (1801-1925) Indexes the Times of London, which is available on microfilm.

More Databases
These databases lead to other useful information.  The descriptions provide details on the publications types they lead to:

WorldCat  The union catalog of over 9,000 member libraries.  Over one billion bibliographic records for books, periodicals, videos, manuscripts, maps, sound recordings, and internet resources.  Includes information on which libraries own an item, and links to the Randall Library Interlibrary Loan system (ILLiad). 
Biography & Genealogy Master Index This resource indexes more than 12.7 million biographical sketches in more than 3,400 volumes and editions of current and retrospective reference books, covering both contemporary and historical figures throughout the world.  After you find which resources contain a biographical sketch you need, search the online catalog for the book.  References to Biography Index (Index CT100 .B6) will ultimately lead to books, book chapters or periodical articles. 

STRATEGIES FOR FINDING PRIMARY SOURCES

Remember that World War I was not called World War I until World War II came along! It was, after all, the "war to end all wars." So, as you do keyword searches for this topic, keep in mind it was commonly referred to as the Great War or the European War.

Don't miss these documentary collections:

British documents on foreign affairs--reports and papers from the Foreign Office confidential print. Part II, From the First to the Second World War. Series H, The First World War, 1914-1918.
UNCW General Collection D621 .G7 B75

British Documents on the Origins of the War, 1898-1914.
UNCW General Collection D505 .G68 1967

Collected Diplomatic Documents Relating to the Outbreak of the European War.
UNCW General Collection D505 .G7

The Fall of the German Empire, 1914-1918.
UNCW General Collection DD228.8 .L8 1969

The First World War. Jere Clemens King, ed.
UNCW General Collection D505 .K55

Historic Documents of World War I. Louis L. Snyder, ed.
UNCW General Collection D505 .S7

Over There: European Reaction to Americans in World War I. Robert C. Walton, ed.
UNCW General Collection D505 .W35

Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States.
UNCW US Documents Collection S1.1 and http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/FRUS/

Source Records of the Great War.
UNCW Reference Collection D411 .S6 1923 (7 volumes)

United States Army in World War I. US Documents CD D114.21:W19 (3 compact discs)

World War I: A History in Documents. Frans Coetzee and Marilyn Shevin-Coetzee, eds.
UNCW General Collection D505 .C64 2002

3. USE BIBLIOGRAPHIES & REFERENCE COLLECTION FINDING AIDS

American Diaries. Reference Collection CT214 .A7 1983

Bibliographic Guide to the Two World Wars. Reference Collection D521 .B39

A Subject Bibliography of the First World War. Reference Collection D521 .E64

World War I Memories: An Annotated Bibliography of Personal Accounts Published in English Since 1919. UNCW Reference D640 .A2 L54 2001

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4. USE BIBLIOGRAPHIES & FOOTNOTES IN SECONDARY SOURCES

Historical research is not a strictly linear process. You should make a research plan in the form of a list of tools to use, but as you delve into catalogs, indexes and other resources you may need to come back to those you thought you had exhausted. You may learn a new term to search or find a reference to a specific publication you did not know about earlier. Do not isolate your search for primary sources from your search for secondary ones, because the secondary sources also serve as a finding aid for more primary sources you didn't find through the catalogs or indexes.

Secondary sources may refer to sources (both primary and secondary) in these ways:

1. Classified: This is the easiest way to find new primary sources, because they are categorized as such. They may be further categorized as published (meaning they may be in the library collection or obtainable through interlibrary loan) or unpublished (meaning they are one of a kind and you must travel to the repository that owns them).
2. Alphabetical: You will need to sort the sources that seem to be primary (indicated by the title or publication date) from secondary resources.
3. Endnotes: Both primary and secondary sources cited in the order used by the author of the work in hand, compiled in a list at the end of the chapter or book.
4. Footnotes: Both primary and secondary sources cited in the order used at the bottom of the page where the usage occurred.

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5. USE PRIMARY SOURCE REPOSITORIES ON THE WEB (Free or licensed by UNCW or NCLIVE)

AMDOCS: Documents for the Study of American History http://www.vlib.us/amdocs/
Browse chronologically to find the documents from the war period selected for this site.

American Memory Project http://memory.loc.gov/
The Library of Congress digital contains text, photographs, audio and video on U.S. History. Be sure to try the American Leaders Speak:Recordings from World War I and the 1920 Election and Stars and Stripes, 1918-1919. http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/nfhtml/nfhome.html

BBC World War I. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwone/
This BBC site has assembled articles of scholarly interpretations about the war and audio versions of oral histories and dramatized diaries. Also try the animated map of the Western front.

Der Erste Weltkrieg http://www.dhm.de/lemo/html/wk1/index.html
From the German Historical Museum, this site provides information (in German) on the war, politics, art, industry, propaganda, and daily life. Includes recordings of Kaiser Wilhelm II speeches.

Documents of World War I. http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/ww1.htm
This chronologically arranged list of links to documents (mosty primary sources, but some secondary) is compiled by Dr. Vincent Ferraro, Mount Holyoke College.

First World War.com. http://www.firstworldwar.com/index.htm
Although created as a hobby, this site provides a rich collection on primary source documents, audio, photographs, music, art and literature.

The Great War - 80 Years On. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/special_report/1998/10/98/world_war_i/197437.stm
This BBC special report includes audio interviews, newsreel footage, and soldiers' letters.

The Great War Web Site. www.pitt.edu/~pugachev/greatwar/ww1.html
Organized by country and topics such as films, pacifism, and poetry, this site is maintained by a staff member at the University of Pittsburgh.

In the First Person:  An Index to Letters, Diaries, Oral Histories and Personal Narratives (On Randall Library Database page.)
An index to English language personal narratives published or available on the web.  It aims to be "the most comprehensive archive of social memory ever created." 

Internet Modern History Sourcebook: World War I. www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/modsbook38.html
One of a series of sourcebooks providing electronic access to documents in the public domain, the site links to documents on the origins of war, the war, resistance to war, literary responses, and the aftermath.

North American Women's Letters and Diaries. (On Randall Library Database page.)
Contains over 200 items relating to World War I.

War Times Journal: The Great War Series. www.wtj.com/wars/greatwar/
War Times Journal is a free online magazine of military history and science, emphasizing eyewitness accounts and personal narratives.

World War I Document Archive. www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/
Assembled by volunteers of the World War I Military History List, you can browse by year or document type or perform keyword searches.

World War I. http://www.teacheroz.com/wwi.htm
Produced by a Dallas, Texas AP high school teacher, this site provides links to both primary and secondary sources. Her table of contents may be useful in focusing your research on a particular aspect of the war.

World War I -- Trenches on the Web. www.worldwar1.com/sfguide.htm
Created by a network administrator with an avocation for the study of WWI, this site is not as scholarly as the WWI Document Archive or the Modern History Sourcebook. Start with the Reference Library section to review its content.

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6. CONSIDER VISITING A MANUSCRIPT REPOSITORY
You may find records for manuscript material in WorldCat that is held by repositories nearby. These manuscript repositories also have online guides to finding aids.

UNCW Special Collections: http://library.uncw.edu/web/collections/index.html The following collections contain documents relating to World War I:
Brauer Papers MS 60
MacMillan, Sidney Gardner Papers MS 40
Rorison, Harmon C. Paper MS 17
UNC-Chapel Hill Manuscripts Department: http://www.lib.unc.edu/mss/finding.html
Duke University Rare Book, Manuscript and Special Collections Library: http://scriptorium.lib.duke.edu/specoll/

Search WorldCat for other archival and manuscript collections. (OCLC, the producer of WorldCat, acquired the National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections and has integrated those records into WorldCat.)

 

Page maintained by Sue Cody
Last Update: August 25, 2008