Databases are great tools to find quality and trustworthy sources of all types and on all different topics. History, especially that of political and social conflicts, is a complex discipline that is often best explored through scholarly databases. 

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When searching for historical texts and resources, it's important to know if there are multiple sides to an event, different names of an event, location, date range, and more. This historical conflict is known as either The Troubles or the Northern Ireland Conflict. One could search for events in different locations, like Belfast or Londonderry--some of the violence reached into other parts of Ireland as well. As for the date range, it's important to know that this struggle lasted for almost 30 years in the late 20th century, meaning there is actual news footage to be found, unlike older events.

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Here are a few databases of varying types that work best for historical research.

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• Academic Video Online. ProQuest. https://search-proquest-com.proxy.ulib.uits.iu.edu/avon/index?accountid=7398

  • This database is a streaming video database powered by ProQuest that specializes in academic or scholarly videos. Two of the documentaries included in this pathfinder, Daughters of the troubles and An essential history of the troubles were found via this database. Searching is straightforward, with a basic search and advanced search to add more limiters.​

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• Kanopy. https://iupui.kanopy.com/ 

  • This database is a streaming video database that focuses on documentaries and feature films. Examples of historical documentaries available here range from Stonewall Uprising (PBS) to Breaking the Maya Code - Discovering Remnants of the Mayans. Searching is easy with the ability to browse by different genre, subject matter, filmmaker, date, and more.​

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• History Reference Center. EBSCO. http://web.b.ebscohost.com.proxy.ulib.uits.iu.edu/hrc/search/basic?vid=0&sid=fbe39db5-918c-4dea-ab14-e3585c323f3e%40sessionmgr101

  • The two main categories in this database are U.S. History and World History. It searches through history reference books, encyclopedias, and other historical documents. Subjects range from broad ancient history to specific recent history like Arab Spring.​

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• Gale in Context: World History. https://go-gale-com.proxy.ulib.uits.iu.edu/ps/start.do?p=WHIC&u=iulib_iupui

  • This database covers the broad category of world history and features overviews and articles and varying topics: specific people like Albert Einstein, the broad history of Christianity, various wars and conflicts across the globe, and more. Researchers can browse by topic or search for specific titles via an advanced search.​

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• Gale in Context: Opposing Viewpoints. https://go-gale-com.proxy.ulib.uits.iu.edu/ps/start.do?p=OVIC&u=iulib_iupui

  • This database focuses on topics that are hotly debated issues like the electoral college, prison reform, or climate change. The purpose is to present any and all sides of the debate through scholarly articles, news stories, and other sources.​

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• JSTOR. https://www-jstor-org.proxy.ulib.uits.iu.edu/action/showBasicSearch

  • This database is an interdisciplinary source that contains books, scholarly articles, and primary sources. Users can browse by subject, title, or author, or use the advanced search. While the focus is not history, the inclusion of primary sources makes it an invaluable resource for historical research.​

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