With the current world situation as it is at the moment and the increasing move online for university courses, I've compiled a list of my top 4 online history resources that were invaluable when I was completing my BA and that I will continue using during my MA!
1. JSTOR
https://www.jstor.org/
Your university will more than likely have a subscription to JSTOR which will allow you to access an incredible number of articles and book chapters on different topics and themes. JSTOR is one of my favourite resources for this reason and it's not as restrictive as some other websites that either require a specific subscription from your university or charge individuals to access material. One great thing about JSTOR is that you can still access most sources for free even if you are not a student!
2. The National Library of Wales
https://www.library.wales/
Now I know this seems a bit random for students who don't attend university in Wales or are not doing a Welsh history module, but I definitely think it's worth having a look at as there are various types of resources available on their website. As this is the National Library of Wales the resources relate to Wales and Welsh history, but with Welsh journals and collections such as 'Cymru 1914' available online there is the opportunity to gain perspective about Welsh issues and how Wales and its people fit into the bigger picture.
3. The National Archives
https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/
The National Archives website was invaluable when I was completing my dissertation during the lockdown. With thousands of digitised documents that are available to download for free, this is definitely a go-to website for primary sources! Transcriptions of documents are also available so there's no need to panic if you're unsure what some of the writing says!
4. Google Scholar
https://scholar.google.com/
Google Scholar is a great tool when looking for books and journal articles. It's easy to use and can bring up some really useful sources but I wouldn't rely solely on this website. It is however a good starting point for general topics compared to other websites that have a broader and more specific selection of sources that can seem daunting if you're unsure what exactly you're looking for. Personally, I used this website just to see what came up when I looking for sources generally that may have been helpful with assignments, if I found anything I thought might be useful I bookmarked it and then went back to the search list to continue looking!
Knowing where to look for certain types of sources can be stressful, especially when you're not completely sure what type of sources you're looking for. I found all of these website really helpful during my degree and would definitely recommend them to history students, and anyone who has a general interest in history and wants to learn more!
Do you have a favourite website for history sources that I haven't mentioned? Let me know in the comments!
Fantastic! This is really useful information, thank you. I use Jstor almost every day, there are so many interesting articles on there. And I was really surprised at the amount of info and sources there are at The National Archives online, too. I haven't looked at the National Library of Wales though, or Google Scholar - I'll look them up. Great post, thanks!
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