Online Resources & Databases
Recommended Databases
The SHAHS has access to a variety of databases, both free and subscription based, to assist students in conducting research. With these databases, you don't have to worry about fake news or inaccurate information when using these databases, because they are collections of reliable, credible information that has been vetted by a variety of professionals. These user-friendly databases are made for students, like you, in mind and provide easy access to information all in one location, allowing you to download information to you Google Drive or as a PDF or as a perma-link to review at your convenience.
Click on the title or icon for quick access to each source.
Access PA gives patrons ability to access library catalogs across the state. Power Library provides access to Databases, Journals, ebooks, hosted by Pennsylvania's library system.
Power Library is free to students when accessed via the HS servers. If utilized at home, just sign up for a e-card to gain access.
JSTOR is a digital library that allows individuals to explore the world's knowledge, culture, and ideas by providing access to more than 12 million journal articles, books, images, and primary sources in over 75 disciplines.
Sign-up with your school email and receive access to 100 free articles a month.
Google Scholar helps you find relevant scholarly work from around the world. Provides a simple way to broadly search for scholarly literature. From one place, you can search across many disciplines and sources: articles, theses, books, abstracts and court opinions, from academic publishers, professional societies, online repositories, universities and a host of other academic areas.
Free to everyone.
Government run website that can also be classified as a database for historical documents. The LOC provides accurate historical information including documents, photographs, audio files, videos, maps, sheet music, and much more. Great for historical research.
Provides materials to guide users through every step of the research process.
Includes books ad references, cases, datasets, podcasts, videos, and much more.
Current trending issues and debatable topics in the news.
In-depth, unbiased coverage and reporting on topics such as health, social trends, criminal justice, international affairs, education, the environment, and the economy.
Open Educational Resources
(Academic Search Engines)
Open Educational Resources (OERs) are materials that have been licensed for "free use" in educational settings. Ultimately, they are academic search engines which provide access to academic journals which are often a great place to find trustworthy and reliable content, and are considered one of the most reliable sources you can use in academic writing.
While classic academic databases charge for subscriptions, OERs provide access to information free of charge (you may just have to create a account).
Top free academic search engines:
Search by Topic/Subject
Agriculture, Biology, & Natural Science
Art, Culture, & Media
Museum of Modern Art (MOMA)
Biography
Business
Controversial/Debatable Issues
Gale Power Search (through Power Library)
Criminal Justice & Law
Google Scholar (click on case law)
Data Collection & Analysis
General Social Survey (GSS)
Measurement Instrument Database for the Social Sciences (MIDSS)
PSPP (Data Analysis Tool)
VassarStats (Data Analysis Tool)
Digital Newspapers & Photographs
Environmental
Geography
General (Variety of topics & subjects):
Government & Politics
The White House (Presidential Bios)
Health & Medicine
History
Movie & Film Reviews
Mythology, Religion & Theology
Britannica (Mythology)
Global Digital Library (Theology)
Encyclopedia Mythica (Mythology)
Mythology Unbound (open textbook)
Philosophy
Photography
Pop Culture
Publishing (Your Work)
Scholarly Journals
EBSCO (through Power Library)
Sociology
American Journal of Sociology (JSTOR)
Writing/Grammar
GMU (Writing Center)
Purdue OWL (Writing Lab)
Scrible (Annotation Tool)
Citation Help
Citations are a important part of the research process as it is important to give credit to the original author of the work. Please see the links below for general information about how APA, MLA, and Chicago Style is formatted.
General Rules & Guidelines for Proper Usage: Click on a specific citation style for rules and guidelines on proper usage.
Citation Generators:
Citation Generators are amazing tools to help start your citations, but remember, they are not perfect. You are responsible for checking that all pertinent information is provided and the formatting is correct. Don't forget to double check.
Fact Checking Sources
Don't spread fake news or misinformation! Check your sources for credibility and accuracy!