When speaking with other history enthusiasts or researchers, there’s a nostalgic reaction to analog tools. We spend so much time on our screens that there is almost a yearning for the days of traveling to a dusty archive somewhere, armed with nothing but your favourite notebook or pen. I’ve also been swept up in this. Once I was so disillusioned by digital task management apps with promises of increased productivity that I bought Analog, a physical to-do list from Ugmonk that helps you focus on your most important work. It’s still one of my favourite analog tools.
But like it or not, we’re living in a digital age with screens of every size. More and more archives and libraries are digitising their collections, making it more accessible than ever to find information. When used thoughtfully, digital tools can help you find records easily, capture your ideas, organize sources, and disseminate your research.
With so many resources and tools available, and with so much information at our fingertips electronically, it can almost be overwhelming.
Where do you even start?
I’ll show you exactly the digital tools that have helped me collect 300-plus literature references, build a digital museum with 10,000-plus views, and write a 300-page family history book all in under three years, as a side-researcher no less, so you can benefit from them too.
These are the top digital tools that every historian or researcher should know about to make life simpler, no matter your stage in the research journey.
Deep-dive into research databases
Research databases contain a wide range of published information, including journal articles, periodicals, newspaper articles, books, research papers, and essays. New researchers can sometimes fall into a trap of relying on Google for information. While Google is a useful search tool, research databases can provide more specific and relevant sources. As a start, use Google to find research databases related to your area of research.
Access to most research databases requires a subscription by the library or state-funded programs. Some databases may be partially free, such as allowing access to abstracts or a small number of items.
Here are a few recommended databases for research in the humanities:
JSTOR
JSTOR is a digital library that provides access to more than 12 million journal articles, books, images, and primary sources in 75 disciplines. The collection includes full-text searchable PDF images from over 2,300 journals and more than 100,000 DRM-free ebooks from academic publishers. Just recently I came across this gem: Queen Christina and the General Crisis of the Seventeenth Century.
Project MUSE
Project MUSE is an aggregator of digital academic journals, providing digital humanities and social science content from over 400 university presses and scholarly societies around the world. The collection includes peer-reviewed academic journals and e-books.
HathiTrust
HathiTrust is a digital library providing access to more than 18 million titles from libraries around the world. The resources in their collection include scholarly materials and primary source documents that date from 1500 to the present. With HathiTrust, I have been able to access rare out-of-print periodicals and books.
More research databases to try: ProQuest, Google Scholar, Historical Abstracts, or Ancestry Library Edition
