What is a database?
A database is a collection of data that is organized and retrievable. When we talk about databases in a library, we are usually talking about tools that you can use to search and access published materials like articles, books, images, videos, etc.
While you access them through the internet, the databases you find through the Library are different than regular websites. The Library pays to subscribe to databases. Much of the material you find in Library databases is not available for free online, which means it is accessible to you only while you are an Oakton student. You can access any of these databases on campus or by logging in with your myOakton username and password if you are off campus.
Suggested Databases for History Research
- Chicago Tribune Historical ProQuest This link opens in a new windowIncludes full-text and full-images of the Chicago Tribune in a searchable archive. The archive covers 1849-1999.
- CQ Researcher This link opens in a new windowEach issue examines a single "hot" topic with comments from experts, lawmakers and citizens on all sides of every issue. Includes charts, graphs and sidebar articles -- plus a pro-con feature, a chronology, lengthy bibliographies and a list of contacts.
- Harper's Weekly This link opens in a new windowOnline version of Harper's Weekly (1857-1912), the leading American illustrated magazine of its day, covering political, military, social, and cultural stories. May be browsed by date or literary genre; the full text is searchable by keywords.
- History Reference Center EBSCO This link opens in a new windowContains full-text journals, magazines, reference books, and primary source documents covering topics in U.S. and world history from early civilization through the 21st century.
- History Research Center - Infobase This link opens in a new window
Combines three history databases: American History Online, Ancient and Medieval History Online, and Modern World History Online.
- Modern World History Online This link opens in a new windowCovers the people, places, and events in the broad expanse of history-from mid-15th century to the present.
- Opposing Viewpoints in Context This link opens in a new windowDatabase of contemporary social issues with content structured to promote critical-thinking skills. It contains reference book titles, pro and con viewpoint articles, and a variety of periodicals, podcasts, reviewed Web links, images, statistical tables, charts, and graphs.
Databases for History Research - American History
- African American Historical Serials Collection This link opens in a new window
The African American Historical Serials Collection is an archive of periodicals that document the history of African American religious life and culture between 1829 and 1922. It includes newspapers and magazines, plus reports and annuals from African American religious organizations, including churches and social service agencies.
- American Decades 1900 through 1999 - GVRL This link opens in a new windowCross-disciplinary source for documenting and analyzing periods of contemporary American social history (1900-1999).
- American History Online This link opens in a new windowSpans more than 500 years of political, military, social, and cultural history, highlighting the important people and events of the American experience.
- Black Life in America This link opens in a new window
The experiences and impact of African Americans as recorded by the news media.
- Historical Statistics of the United States This link opens in a new windowProvides data that relates to the social, behavioral, humanistic, and natural sciences including history, economics, government, finance, sociology, demography, education, law, natural resources, climate, religion, international migration, and trade. Includes over 37,000 data series and statistics from more than 1,000 sources.
- History Makers Digital Archive This link opens in a new window
Video oral history interviews highlighting the accomplishments of individual African Americans and African-American-led groups and movements from across the United States, from a variety of fields, and with memories stretching from the 1890s to the present.
- Oxford African American Studies Center This link opens in a new windowPrimary documents, web sites, and maps. Material is compiled by Oxford University Press from their many reference works, such as Africana, Encyclopedia of African American History, various Oxford Companions, and the forthcoming African American National Biography.
- Women and Social Movements in the United States, 1600-2000 This link opens in a new windowProvides a collection of books, images, documents, scholarly essays, commentaries, and bibliographies that document women's activism in American public life.
Databases for History Research - Global History
- Ancient and Medieval History Online This link opens in a new windowExplores the pre-modern world with in-depth focus on Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece, Rome, Africa, Europe, the Americas, and Asia.
- Human Rights Studies Online - Alexander Street Press This link opens in a new windowProvides comparative documentation, analysis, and interpretation of major human rights violations and atrocity crimes worldwide from 1900 to 2010. The collection includes primary and secondary materials across multiple media formats and content types for each selected event.
- Modern World History Online This link opens in a new windowCovers the people, places, and events in the broad expanse of history-from mid-15th century to the present.