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MWH, Final Mini-Research Project 2025: SWANA

Final Research Mini-Project

Introduction

Country options in Southwest Asia and North Africa (SWANA) include Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, Yemen, Egypt, Liberia, and Libya.

Databases

World History in Context (Gale)

From the ancient world to today's headlines, this source delivers a chronicle of the great cultures and societies that have formed the history of the human race through primary sources, reference materials and more.

JSTOR

Digitized library of journal articles, books and primary sources, some going back to the 1800's.

Issues & Controversies in History (InfoBase)

Covering every region of the globe from antiquity to the present, this comprehensive reference database features hundreds of in-depth pro/con articles—all written by professional historians and experts—each based on a broad range of primary sources.

History Reference Source (EBSCO)

Covering topics in U.S. and world history from the earliest civilizations through the 21st century, History Reference Source is a research database containing full-text journals, magazines, reference books and thousands of primary source documents.

Points of View Reference Source (EBSCO)

Containing resources that present multiple sides of an issue, Points of View Reference Source provides rich content that can help students assess and develop persuasive arguments and essays, better understand controversial issues and develop analytical thinking skills.

Some tips for Searching:

  • Your list of key parties/dates/events is a great place to start.
  • Use "quotation marks" to lock phrases/names together in your search. 
  • Note different iterations of country names, spellings, etc., try in English UK, English US, and the language of origin
    • Note that transliterations across alphabets may cause more variation, especially in Hebrew, Arabic, and Chinese (e.g., Shabbes, Shabos, Shabbat, etc.).
  • Add descriptor words to your terms to help you find primary sources: diary, diaries, letter, papers, documents, correspondence, map, speech, propaganda, pamphlet, etc.
  • Add big ideas to your terms to help you find secondary sources: outside influence, nationalism, decolonization, etc.
  • Once you find a good source, mine it for similar sources, follow links, and look for more vocabulary for search terms.