AFR 239: African Civilization to 1700s: Home

 This guide will help you find resources for researching aspects of African history. 

Native Rhythm, Chickens at Revival, Wheel and Turn, and Apparition from the Revival Series, Hoyes Museum.

SuperSearch is a great place to start for journal articles, books and almost everything else the library has, in one easy to use interface.

To use SuperSearch, visit it at wellesley.edu/lts and type in keywords or a book title.

In the filters on the left-hand side of the screen, choose eBooks and Books from the Source Type list to filter for all books.

Criteria to keep in mind when choosing and using both print and online sources:

• Accuracy - What is the purpose of the document and why was it produced? Does the author cite their sources and are the sources legitimate?
• Authority - Who wrote the source? Is the author credible? What are the author's credentials (educational background, past writing, experience) in this area? Have you seen the author's name cited in other sources or bibliographies? Who published the source? Is the publisher scholarly (university press, scholarly associations)? Commercial? Government agency? Is the source self-published (“vanity”press)? For online information, check the domain of the document — what institution publishes this document?
• Objectivity - Does the author have a bias, political or commercial or persuasive?
• Currency - Is this information new or based on outdated sources? Can you tell how current it is? How up-to-date are the links (if any)?
• Audience - Who is the information written for: a specific readership, level of expertise, or age/grade level? Is the audience focus appropriate for a research paper?