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The Middle Passage: Scholarly Articles and Primary Sources

A few tips on searching online databases

Online databases do not understand natural language. You have to construct your search by putting search terms (keywords) in search fields.

Combine search terms with AND, OR, and NOT (Boolean operators). 

  • If the operator AND is used, materials  produced will contain all your search terms. This is the most restrictive search with the most precise results.
  • Putting OR between search terms allows to you find all items that contain either term. 
  • Using NOT will only find items that do not contain the search term following it. 

If you are looking for an exact phrase, enclose it in quotation marks ("").

Don't be discouraged if you get irrelevant results or no results at all. Just check your spelling or use different keywords.

Google Scholar

Google Scholar Search

Online databases

Find scholarly articles and primary sources online. Use these electronic databases:

ABC-CLIO African-American Experience

Academic Search Complete

American History Online

Ethnic Newswatch (Proquest)

Humanities Source

JSTOR

Project MUSE

Slavery and Anti-Slavery