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Dr. Al-Tikriti has provided a list of requirements for the research paper. A bibliography and outline are due on November 21st, and the final paper is due on December 7th.

This page is a guide to researching modern Middle East history. The page is divided into five sections:

• Overviews
• Books
• Articles
• Primary sources
• Finding sources in class on October 31st

I recommend bookmarking this page.

Read overviews to quickly grasp the basics of your topic, and to find clues to follow up on (such as citations to other sources). Don't cite overviews.

In Simpson Library, find overviews in the Reference section on the first floor. I recommend these Reference books:

Try browsing these call numbers for books about the modern Middle East:

• The Islamic world: DS 35.3 through DS 35.77
• Arab countries (in general): DS 38.9 through DS 39.32
• The Middle East (in general): DS 62.7 through DS 63.124
• Politics and government of the Middle East: JQ 1758 through JQ 1852

Call numbers for specific countries:

• Armenia: DS 194 - DS 198
• Bahrain: DS 247.B25 through DS 247.B28
• Egypt: DT 100 through DT 110
• Iran: DS 302 through DS 320
• Iraq: DS 77 through DS 79.8
• Israel and Palestine: DS 109.92 through DS 109.95
• Jordan: DS 154.4 through DS 154.6
• Kuwait: DS 247.K85 through DS 247.K88
• Lebanon: DS 83 through DS 88.
• Oman: DS 247.O65 through DS 247.O68
• Qatar: DS 247.Q35 through DS 247.Q38
• Saudi Arabia: DS 242 through DS 245
• Syria: DS 97.5 through DS 98.8
• Turkey: DR 556 through DR 700
• United Arab Emirates: DS 247.T85 through DS 247.T88
• Yemen: DS 247.Y45 through DS 247.Y47

For a complete breakdown of the call number meanings, see this PDF.

The simplest way to find journal articles is to use the library search box. That's a good place to start. However, consider searching the history databases as well. I recommend the database Historical Abstracts.

Primary sources are historical documents from the time that you're studying. They provide evidence to establish what is true or false.

The most important method for discovering primary sources is to read secondary sources and see which primary sources they cite.

You might find some primary sources in library books, often with subject headings that include the term Sources. Most of your primary sources, however, will be found online, on websites such as these:

In class today, please find five sources for your topic, either primary or secondary, that you have not seen before today. Then, show me those five sources.

• You're not committing to using these five sources in your bibliography or your final paper -- you're just finding possibilities today.
• I recommend that you start with an overview of your topic, or of the context surrounding your topic. Read through the overview, and write down words you could use as search terms. You might also want to write down the titles of sources cited in the overview.

When you find a good source, save it so you can get back to it later. Here are some ways to save sources:

• Download a PDF to your computer.
• Bookmark a URL.
• Write down a title.
• Check out a physical book.

Feel free to leave this room to browse the shelves or to check out books, but remember to come back to show me what you found.

After you've shown me five sources, you can leave class early, or you can stay and continue to find more sources for the entire period (your choice).