- 1). Find published historical books, biographies, and compilations of historical documents that are available. Books that have accurate citations and photocopies of primary documents are particularly useful. University libraries often keep a wide selection of books of historical interest, and you can also find some used copies at bookstores or at online sellers.
- 2). Enter the name of the person into Biography.com's database. This database emphasizes mostly 20th century historical figures, especially political and entertainment celebrities. The material compiled is featured on the Biography Channel, as well as the A&E and History Channels.
- 3). Search the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (DNB) for British citizens. According to the DNB, the dictionary includes over 57,000 illustrated biographic entries. The DNB is one of the foremost biographical resources for researchers.
- 4). Make an appointment at relevant archives. You can search public records such as court or legal documents, as well as personal correspondences that have been preserved. For instance, if you want to search the history of Herman Melville, you can call the Herman Melville House, located in Lennox, Massachusetts, and try to review its available documents.
- 5). Contact surviving family members or other contemporaries. They may have kept valuable, unexplored documents connected to the person. Though this seems simple enough, it has been the cause of a few major investigative finds. The reporter Jerry Mitchell, who led an investigation in the 1990s into violent criminals for their actions during the 1960s, simply searched the name of one offender in an online database of phone numbers and addresses.
previous post
next post