NSG 422: Historical Research Guide

This guide contains suggested resources for further research on the various topics assigned for your historical research project. Most of the sources described in this guide are original materials held at the Center for Southeast North Carolina Archives and History at UNCW Library. The Center's resources, in general, are not accessible online and do not circulate. You will need to email the public services archivist, Samantha Crisp, to set up a time for the members of your group to come to the library and view the materials in person. 

This guide also references digital collections and historical primary source databases you can use for further research on your topic. Some of these databases may prompt you to login with your UNCW username and password before accessing them.

How to use this LibGuide:

1. Use the teal menu bars on the left side of the screen to navigate to the section of the guide that coincides with the research topic you've been assigned.
2. Look over the full list of CSENCAH resources described for that topic. Resources may include published materials (books and periodicals), archival materials (unpublished papers and documents), or a combination of both. Look over the entire list with your group and select a handful of resources that look like they might be relevant to your research.
   • In most cases, you will need to click on a resource's title to view more details about it in order to understand what kind of information it contains.
3. Email Samantha Crisp to set up a time to visit the library and explore the materials your group has selected. Please include the list of resources you'd like to see in your email.
4. Either before or after your visit (or ideally both!), click on the Ideas for Further Research tab in the menu and explore some of the suggested databases to look for additional resources on your topic beyond the Center's collections. This section is designed to be used by all groups, regardless of which topic you've been assigned.
   • You will probably need to try the same kinds of searches in several different databases in order to generate a comprehensive list of sources.
5. You may also want to try searching the Center's collections for additional original material on your topic. Instructions for how to search our archival collections, book collections, and digital collections are described below.

The Center for Southeast North Carolina Archives and History (CSENCAH) at UNC Wilmington consists of the library's Special Collections, University Archives, and Government Resources. To search the Center's collections, visit our website and use the search bar near the top of the page.

To search across our finding aids for archival collections, click the Finding Aids tab.

To search for published materials, such as books, serials, periodicals, and audiovisual media, click the Books, Media and More tab.

To search for materials that have been digitized and made available online, click the Digital Collections tab.

For more information about how to search for unpublished materials in the Center's collections and how to use our finding aids, please watch the video tutorial below.