HIST 490C: Baseball and the World (Fall 2024)

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.

Tips

• Start with keywords.
• Use Subject databases!
• Pay attention to Subject terms!
  • Once you find the subject terms for your topic, you can find every recent book on your topic
• Keep it simple!

IMPORTANT

The databases were reformatted over the summer and no longer work the way you expect.

Before beginning a search, go to "Search options" and deselect "also search within the full text of the articles"

If you don't, you'll get hundreds of false hits.

• Searching is iterative
• You'll need to try different combinations of terms
• you'll need to try different databases
• pay attention to citations
• Use GoogleScholar to find who cited a book or article you like (ex)

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.

• Baseball and American Empire
  • Baseball AND ("american empire" OR "American imperialism")
    • HA
    • AHL
• The Spalding Baseball Tour of 1887-1888
  • "Spalding Baseball Tour" OR ("spalding tour" AND baseball)
    • HA
    • AHL
• Baseball and Race
  • baseball AND (Race OR racism)
    • HA
    • AHL
• Baseball and Masculinity
  • baseball AND (masculinity OR gender)
    • HA
    • AHL
• Baseball and Colonial Japan
  • ​​​​​​​baseball AND (colonial AND japan) 
    • HA
• Baseball in Taiwan
  • Baseball and Taiwan
    • HA
• Baseball in Korea
  • Baseball AND Korea
    • HA
• Baseball and Japan
  • Baseball AND japan
    • AHL
    • HA
• Baseball tours around the World 
  • baseball AND (tour*) AND (World OR global)
    • AHL
    • HA
• The origins of baseball in X country
  • baseball AND (origin* OR development* OR history) AND country
    • AHL
    • HA
• Negro Leagues
  • "Negro Leagues"
    • AHL
    • HA
• Baseball and War
  • baseball AND war (Be specific)
    • AHL
    • HA
• Baseball and 9/11
  • baseball AND ("9/11" OR "September 11" OR "war on terror")
    • AHL
• Baseball through the lens of individual figures like Masanori Murakami, Roberto Clemente, or Ichiro Suzuki
  • baseball AND individual
    • AHL
    • HA

Important note: Use "Baseball" as a Subject; use countries as a subject

ex vs ex

• Baseball and American Empire
  • Baseball AND ("american empire" OR "American imperialism")
    • worldcat
• The Spalding Baseball Tour of 1887-1888
  • "Spalding Baseball Tour" OR ("spalding tour" AND baseball)
    • worldcat
• Baseball and Race
  • baseball AND (Race OR racism)
• Baseball and Masculinity
  • baseball AND (masculinity OR gender)
• Baseball and Colonial Japan
  • baseball AND (colonial* AND japan)  
    • probably need to broaden to books about the History of Baseball in Japan, and narrow on chapters about Colonial period
• Baseball in Taiwan
  • Baseball and Taiwan
    • worldcat 
• Baseball in Korea
  • Baseball AND Korea 
• Baseball and Japan
  • Baseball AND japan 
    • worldcat
• Baseball tours around the World 
  • baseball AND (tour*) AND (World OR global) 
    • worldcat 
• The origins of baseball in X country
  • baseball AND (origin* OR development* OR history) AND country
    • worldcat
• Negro Leagues
  • "Negro Leagues" AND baseball
• Baseball and War
  • baseball AND war (Be specific)
• Baseball and 9/11
  • baseball AND ("9/11" OR "September 11" OR "war on terror")
    • worldcat
• Baseball through the lens of individual figures like Masanori Murakami, Roberto Clemente, or Ichiro Suzuki
  • baseball AND individual