HIST 312-05 Memory and Material Culture in Eastern Europe (Spring 2023)

When using the main library catalog, be sure to use the limiter functions on the side of the screen. This include:

• limit to books and ebooks
• limit publication date
• limit language
• limit subjects

These are excellent functions that allow you to narrow your search to find timely and directly-related materials for your topic.

1. Start by writing out your question or topic.
2. identify key terms
3. identify potential synonyms
4. Use AND OR NOT to create search phrases. 
5. Conduct several searches, revising keywords backed on subject terms & commonly used language in the articles/books.

1. Start by writing out your question or topic.

• Instruments, possible violins, pianos, organs, in Russia. Possible connection to classical music
• Eastern European traditions and folklore as it relates to foods, architecture, oral traditions, arts
• matryoshka dolls in russian culture and politics
• USSR women fighter pilots ("night witches")
• Ukrainian national identity and material culture
• expulsions in/out of poland after ww2
• Bosnia Memorializaiton of war, possibly ICAR Canned Beef Monument in Sarajevo
• Polish Kotwica symbol on flags, armbands
• clothing and fashion in postwar eastern europe
• Military objects and Red Army
• Romanian war monuments for WW1, specifically Constantin Brancusi

2.  identify key terms

• Instruments, possible violins, pianos, organs, in Russia. Possible connection to classical music
• Eastern European traditions and folklore as it relates to foods, architecture, oral traditions, arts
• matryoshka dolls in russian culture and politics
• USSR women fighter pilots ("night witches")
• Ukrainian national identity and material culture
• expulsions in/out of Poland after ww2
• Bosnia Memorializaiton of war, possibly ICAR Canned Beef Monument in Sarajevo
• Polish Kotwica symbol on flags, armbands
• clothing and fashion in postwar eastern europe
• Military objects and Red Army
• Romanian war monuments for WW1, specifically Constantin Brancusi

3. identify potential synonyms

• Instruments, possible violins, pianos, organs, in Russia. Possible connection to classical music
  • Already contains quite a few
• Eastern European traditions and folklore as it relates to foods, architecture, oral traditions, arts
  • Suggest focusing on specific country
  • focus on specific aspect of folklore
• matryoshka dolls in russian culture and politics
  • stacking dolls, nesting dolls, Russian tea dolls, or Russian dolls
• USSR women fighter pilots ("night witches")
  • looks good as is - may revise search terms later
• Ukrainian national identity and material culture
  • nationalism
• expulsions in/out of Poland after ww2
  • forced migration
• Bosnia Memorializaiton of war, possibly ICAR Canned Beef Monument in Sarajevo
  • looks good as is - may revise search terms later
• Polish Kotwica symbol on flags, armbands
  • looks good as is - may revise search terms later
• clothing and fashion in postwar eastern europe
  • suggest clothing or fashion, focus on specific country
• Military objects and Red Army
  • looks good as is - may revise search terms later
• Romanian war monuments for WW1, specifically Constantin Brancusi
  • looks good as is - may revise search terms later

4. Use AND OR NOT to create search phrases. 

• Instruments, possible violins, pianos, organs, in Russia. Possible connection to classical music
  • ("classical music" OR (instruments AND music*) OR (violin* OR piano*)) and (russia OR russian)
    • NOTE: narrow focus. Ex:
      • "material culture" AND music* AND russia*
• Eastern European traditions and folklore as it relates to foods, architecture, oral traditions, arts
  • "eastern europe*" AND folklore AND (food* OR architecture OR "oral tradition" OR arts)
  • narrow focus. ex
    • albania* AND folklore AND (food* OR architecture OR "oral tradition" OR arts)
    • Russia* AND folklore AND food*
• matryoshka dolls in russian culture and politics
  • russia* AND ("stacking dolls" OR "nesting dolls" OR "tea dolls" OR "Russian dolls" OR matryoshka)
• USSR women fighter pilots ("night witches")
  • (soviet OR russian) AND pilot* AND (women OR "night witches")
• Ukrainian national identity and material culture
  • Ukrain* AND  "material culture" AND (nation* OR identit*)
• expulsions in/out of Poland after ww2
  • (expulsion* OR "forced migration") AND poland AND culture
• Bosnia Memorializaiton of war, possibly ICAR Canned Beef Monument in Sarajevo
  • Bosnia* AND ((War AND memorial*) OR "Canned Beef Monument" OR ICAR )
  • Bosnia* AND monuments AND war
• Polish Kotwica symbol on flags, armbands
  • (Poland OR polish) AND (("world war II" AND underground) OR Krajowa)
  • (Poland OR polish) AND Krajowa
  • (Poland OR polish) AND Krajowa AND (memory OR culture)
• clothing and fashion in postwar eastern europe
  • (clothing OR fashion) AND "eastern europe"
  • suggest narrowing to specific country
    • (clothing OR fashion) AND "east german*"
• Military objects and Red Army
  • "red army" AND "material culture"
  • "red army" AND "material"
• Romanian war monuments for WW1, specifically Constantin Brancusi
  • romania* AND (("world war I" AND memorial*) OR "Constantin Brancusi" )