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HISTORY 600: Global History of Non-Violence (Spring 2024) : Home

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WELCOME!  This LibGuide has been created to help you understand how to conduct research for papers required in History 600.

On these pages, you will learn how to decide what speaks to you about your text, how to create meaningful search terms that follow your interests, and finally, how to find and get primary and secondary literature pertaining to your topic.

 

Combine Search Terms

First you need a Primary Search Term
What is most significant in your area? What speaks to you most?  Why do you like the work the most?
Ahimsa, Desmond Tutu, Mahatma Gandhi

Next you need a Second Search Term

What is special about the primary search term in the work?
Is it just Ahimsa? or is it particular to a time or place?
How does it compare to other places, times?
Quit India; United States; Apartheid; South Africa vs. India, Brazil, Germany, Egypt, etc.
 
This will be the way you find more specific articles.
 
Start vague and then get more specific
Start off with “Ahimsa AND India,” THEN “Ahimsa AND Ambedkar" NOT “Ahimsa AND Ambedkar AND Quit India NOT Mahatma Gandhi” – That may come later, but probably not.
 
You may want to change possible secondary search terms to ones that are synonyms or very nearly synonyms.
First try “Ahimsa AND Feminism AND Equality,” then “Ahimsa AND Gender Equality,” then “Ahimsa AND Equality.”
 
You may also want to change possible secondary search term to ones that vary in specificity.
First try “Ahimsa AND India,” then “Ahimsa AND Hindustan,” then “Ahimsa AND South Asia.”

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