Department of History

5. USING THE HISTORY DEPARTMENT WEB SITE

The history department web site is designed to aid with historical research of on-line data as well as a tool to search for books, articles and other printed data. The history department home page is found at http://web.uccs.edu/~history.   From this homepage you can access the Research Tool Box, the web pages for current UCCS history classes, professors’ e-mail addresses, and the array of extensive history webpages.

The Research Tool Box

The tool box is designed to include all the basic items necessary for research. It is divided into categories to assist the novice and expert researcher alike. For the novice, the tool box contains information on how to use the Internet for research, how to navigate on-line sources, and how to search for written materials. For the expert, there are shortcuts to the UCCS history department’s favorite sites as well as easy ways to access information quickly. The tool box also includes information for every student. First and foremost there is an on-line writing guide which includes necessary information on researching, writing and documenting a history paper. An on-line version of this handbook is also located in the tool box. The on-line edition will allow you to access all of the Internet sites mentioned through hyperlinks in the text. There are links to libraries, archives, and on-line journals, including information on how to access them through the UCCS history and UCCS library sites.

Individual Class Webpages

Each semester the UCCS history department will endeavor to place many helpful items on-line, such as a description of each class, class syllabi and information on how to contact the professor. This page may also include links to pertinent UCCS webpages which will aid the student with assignments for the class.

The History Department Web Site

The department webpages are located at http://web.uccs.edu/history/. The Homepage contains hyperlinks arranged geographically, chronologically and topically, generally corresponding to the course offerings at UCCS. Within each page are links to useful on-line information. At the top of the page the student will find a table of contents which characterizes the type of information available and follows the orientation of the pages in general (geographically, chronologically, and topically). The table is then hyperlinked to a list of web sites available under that topic. In other words, the webpages have been designed to start your research for you by providing helpful links and cataloging them under appropriate headings.

Searching the History Department Webpages

    1. Begin geographically. If you are taking an American history class, the American history webpages are a logical starting point. The same is true for European and Asian studies.
    2. Chronology is the next way to choose a webpage. If you are a student in colonial American history, then you will want to begin your search in United States History in the page entitled, "Colonial America." This site then allows you to search by topic (Native-American contact, or African-American colonists for example), by time period (before the revolution, during the revolution, and the early years of the new republic), or by region (New England, Middle and Southern Colonies, etc.). Within the chosen area you will find, along with links to sites outside of UCCS, links to other pages within the history department web site. Often these links are specific, topic oriented pages.
    3. Topically is the last and most specific way to choose a webpage. A specific topic generally covers one subject and its development over time, regardless of geographic restrictions. Environmental, African-American, and Native-American history are all examples of topics which may impact many of the other chronological and geographical categories, but cannot be contained within any one specific category.

Remember!!!

  1. The Research Tool Box within the History Department web site is designed to help you with basic Internet research tools.
  2. Begin your search with wide geographic parameters and then narrow it chronologically and topically. Each page is arranged in a similar fashion to avoid confusion.
  3. Look for other links to pages within the UCCS history department which may also aid your search.