5 Tips on How to do (Dress) History Research like a PRO (or just like me...pro is questionable)

[@AbbyCox]

Know of any *Free* Research Databases that I missed in the video? Leave them in the comment below!🙏🏻❤ Edit: I didn't realize how much JSTOR offers for free now (I've always categorized it as a paywalled experience) but it is one of the best places for quality academic journals and scholarly secondary sources: www.jstor.org/ -- thanks to everyone who brought that to my attention!! 🎉

[@CandiceLemonSharks]

Jstor, while paid in general, lets unaffiliated users download 6 free papers per month!

[@crisvaneijk5946]

Google Books' gems also include digitisations of several national Parliamentary records (eg Kenya's)!

[@amb163]

The Victoria & Albert Museum, which has a LOT of fashion and textile pieces in their collection, has a great, free to use online archive of their collection. It's good for getting a look at extant pieces. Project Gutenburg also has a ton of public domain books, etc. you can download for free. They've really upped their game in terms of what's available from different time periods. P.S. I have problem looking at your face -- you're gorgeous! Also, I lipread.

[@SparkleFeyed]

State run libraries in PA are all connected and, with your library card, allow access to the POWER Access library: a shared card catalogue for inter library loans as well as a database of newspaper and magazine articles on various topics. Completely free (for PA residents only 😕), and it helped me with a ton of research when I was in school!

[@paigebrady8441]

While not primarily fashion history, Project Gutenberg is a great resource for free ebooks, including lots of classic literature. Also, libraries are a great resource! If you’re affiliated with a university, you’ll have your pick of databases through your university library, but even if you’re not, many public libraries have inter library loan systems where you can borrow a book or article from another library that has that book/article. My university in Michigan was a part of Michigan’s inter library loan system, so a lot of my friends were able to get books from other public and university libraries for their research. Depending on what’s available to you, you can even request a first edition or other specific edition of the book you’re looking for.

[@cindyrosser2471]

During my graduate studies, me and some of my history major cohorts refered to ourselves as "raiders of the lost bibliography."

[@m.maclellan7147]

Immediately thinks of @RachelMaksy ! ♡♡♡

[@MossyMozart]

@cindy rosser - .^_^.

[@gwirithil1]

As one of my former professors was fond of saying - "The first rule of history research is to remember that people, and especially Victorians, LIE."

[@rosalielangmod6244]

That's basically what SCA costumers say in regard to medieval clothing. I've heard so many iterations of, "Please ignore the Victorians," and "No, that's a Victorian fashion plate! Look at this manuscript instead," but that quote is really the best I've encountered. (Not that I'm not grateful to the Victorians for pioneering Medieval study in the first place... ;))

[@gwirithil1]

@@rosalielangmod6244 Her name was Joan Kent. :)

[@biguattipoptropica]

That was my reaction when I was researching the history of lace.

[@gwirithil1]

@@biguattipoptropica uuuuuugh. All the sympathy!

[@rosalielangmod6244]

@@gwirithil1 Thank you! --I am curious after reflection: is the second rule of history research to remember that, if clerics and other buddies are condemning a fashion, it usually means that people were doing the thing they keep complaining about?

[@jenchan4817]

Primary source: Abby was heard telling a joke about how much laudanum a dress historian in the 1850s took. Secondary source: Laudanum was common enough in the past that early 21st dress historian Abby joked about previous generations of dress historians taking it. Tertiary source: At one time laudanum was so widely used by dress historians, that Abby joked about it in the 21st century. Quaternary source: Laudanum was commonly used by 21st century dress historians.

[@MomsMakingHistory]

😂😂😂

[@michellemackay6684]

This is under-appreciated

[@lucie4185]

Quaternary source => buzzfeed

[@shevaunhandley1543]

🤣🤣🤣

[@elizabethashley42]

Perfect summary

[@bernadettebanner]

The Cunnington shade 😂

[@j.munday7913]

Just remember: when you look at things through rose colored glasses red flags just look like flags.

[@alexandrac591]

wow AMAZING advice here

[@BethanyAitch]

That’s a great line. I am stealing it. Thank you!

[@BridgessDePerle]

That's GREAT

[@May-qb3vx]

Pretty sure that’s a Bojack quote

[@emilyblack7342]

Important thing about primary sources: they’re the most effective *in aggregate*. Don’t rely on just one primary source (unless you’re specifically recreating the piece from that single source) find a lot and map the similarities. There’s always a few weirdos in every time period that can throw you off, but the odds of picking five of those weirdos by chance is much smaller.

[@BethanyAitch]

I work at a museum and we had one guy tell us something in our exhibit was wrong and to PLEASE SEE HIS BOOK FOR THE CORRECTION. One of his books had already been blacklisted in our library for having a number of errors. Once you get into a certain industry deep enough, you start learning who can and can’t be trusted.

[@loraleitourtillottwiehr2473]

Hi, Nerdy McNerd-Nerd here! This was delightful. Can I add one thing? Along with questioning the interpretation of the the information in your sources - question bias as well. Is the article in a primary source newspaper about new women's fashion written by a man with a grudge? Or by a knowledgeable woman trying to sell something? Those things color the way information is presented and interpreted, and your own biases can color the way you understand it as well.

[@MomsMakingHistory]

So true! Sometimes historical satire can be completely lost on a researcher. 😬

[@lucie4185]

Oh yes bias from original sources is very important remember the minister in Abby's boob video complaining he couldn't perv down ladies corsets when the fashion changed!

[@whodapole]

YES! I used to run research sessions for undergrads, and how to evaluate bias and trustworthiness of the source material is always something I would nail into them! Ah, this whole thread is making my historian heart sing!

[@333ambrosia333]

I love this point. My high school librarian made a very good point about this, specifically about news articles and the desire to make something shocking more than accurate in a story she told us, which was basically: Beginning of the AIDS crisis, Journalist "Is AIDS spread through the air?", Doctor "We are unsure how it is spread at this time but it is HIGHLY UNLIKELY that it is airbourne.", News Headline "AIDS MAY BE SPREAD THROUGH THE AIR!!!!", *general panic ensues*

[@christinafidance340]

Thank you! I was just about to say this! As a Sociology major, I am constantly looking at the world thru a bias lens, so to speak. ALL people have a bias no matter how hard they try to NOT have one too! And other times, it’s just plain obvious like in the case of historical information on periods and the female anatomy that was written about solely by men!

[@gabyjensen]

As a grad student studying neuroscience, the lack of resources, references, and citations from some people in their field (regardless of the field!) drives me up the wall. I am not interested in dress history beyond curiousity and your shenanigans, Abby, but you present information in a way that is accessible. From one nerd (albeit in a different field) to another, thank you!

[@m.maclellan7147]

Nerds unite ! (Across vastly different, albeit overlapping, fields of interest! )

[@gabyjensen]

@J Island I guess I should amend my comment from "most" to some. Otherwise I'm implying that scientists aren't being accurate. I generally find that some statements are made in some of the literature I'm reading that doesn't seem to be supported by anything other than the author's own (previous) work. Or, sometimes I find some assumptions are made but not clearly defined. Whatout references or citations to show how these assumptions can be accounted for, some conclusions drawn read like guess work. One of the major problems with literature/citations in my field is the assumptions. For example, I'll read an article, which will cite a previous work from the same author. Usually, I'm trying to figure out how they did an experiment (reagents, time, concentration, etc). I'll go to the citation that supposedly describes the experiment, only for it to further cite another paper. Ok, fine, I'll go check this paper. We're now in the 1960-70s (from the first paper I was actually reading, from 2018). The cited work describes the experiment as "performed as usual." At this point, I now have to start researching how this experiment might have been done back in the 60s/70s, but I can't know for sure what exact conditions were performed for the paper I was originally reading. I have no way of recreating or borrowing aspects of their experiment for my own research.

[@jameswhalen4507]

Part of your challenge is, perhaps, caused by the fact that “neuroscience” is a discipline that only emerged in the last decade or so, when university curriculum planners decided to update the age-old “psych” major by adding some natural science coursework. As a new-ish field of study, there is not a well established body of peer reviewed literature to draw upon for research.

[@r.muller8289]

Also a grad student from the STEM field here, and something of notice is that, sometimes, the results and data acquired from the experiment are so uncompatible with the conclusion that you even wonder how the editor okayed it. So I don't even trust the title and the abstract/conclusions, I HAVE to take a good look at the materials/methods.

[@elizabethclaiborne6461]

Tip - if you need a book, and it’s $800 secondhand, ( as many historical costume books are) university libraries often have it AND - 😃 - you can borrow it on inter library loan. I’ve used this more for how-do-I-make-it books, but it how I finally got a look at the Patterns Of Fashion books. Even the most piddlin’ little libraries can tap into the stacks of big university research libraries. Ask your local branch librarian.

[@penelope-oe2vr]

The patterns of fashion books are going to go back into print soon! Just wait for that. So excited!

[@lizziedaniel5739]

As a public librarian at a small rural library, I second this! Even our tiny library has a few interesting books on Victorian costuming, and ILLs are something we do all the time. Also check what digital resources your library offers, because you can often find some interesting stuff on there!

[@lyreparadox]

Ex-librarian here, *inter-library loan is the best thing ever! Some libraries will even do audio and video through inter-library loan!*

[@aimeeleighlandry355]

My nerdy little academic heart is just SO HAPPY seeing all this solid research 💕

[@rainbowbun8716]

“I wanna join this party train. How do I join this party train. I wanna be a nerd, just like everybody out there.”

[@Nemuikoneko]

I'm a librarian and I'd never heard of Elephind. I occasionally get asked for historical paper research, so I'm bookmarking this one and sending it to my colleagues! Excellent video! :)

[@dawnandhallahavingfun5313]

Thank you for the sources. Two other sources I use for period books is Project Gutenburg and the Antique Pattern Library. Both are websites where people download books they have in the public commons.

[@MomsMakingHistory]

Antique pattern library is awesome and has sources you can't find anywhere else!

[@mirjanbouma]

I've saved the antique pattern library website, what an excellent thing to exist! I already knew about project Gutenberg 🙂

[@nancyreid8729]

“How much laudanum were you on?” I just died.

[@m.maclellan7147]

Need that on a t-shirt or bumper sticker (anyone remember those?!) 😉

[@AbbyCox]

@@m.maclellan7147 ...i can make that happen....

[@m.maclellan7147]

@@AbbyCox YEAH !!! ;D

[@agimagi2158]

@@AbbyCox I need that too!!!!!

[@katwitanruna]

@@AbbyCox oh honey!! So many folx have just had their seasonal gift giving made ever so much easier!!

[@mollieboor4869]

It focuses more on fiber arts, but Antique Pattern Library has a ton of scans of old pattern books for just about every textile/fiber craft there is! A lot from the 1890s thru 1910s, but I've seen some as old as 1840 and as new as 1940s.

[@k_golly_g]

Gosh, this is great! I'm still hoarding paper copies from workshops in the early '90s and printouts from websites from the 2000s because information around fashion history and how to construct it used to be so hard to find. If you're lucky you might meet someone who was willing to share but here is Abby enabling us to find this information (and taking a chunk out of gatekeeping while she is at it!) Thanks for another great video!

[@fatimaalaa2659]

I don't know if you've already done this but if you can I highly recommend uploading the papers you have to archive.org so all of us can use the invaluable & scarce resources you might've collected!

[@NightTimeDay]

Yes please archive it ❤

[@darlebalfoort8705]

Spoken as someone who has worked in an academic research library for 25 years, good job!

[@teriholford6497]

Agree from another academic librarian! This is simply a good basic info literacy lesson :)

[@MomsMakingHistory]

Social studies teacher here thirding this!

[@racheldobbs2028]

yep not only have I worked in an academic library for years but I also have a bachelor's and masters in history. Abby gave excellent tips :)

[@gildedgitta]

"You shouldn't cite a youtube video in an academic paper" _the entire internet research side of folkloristics laughs nervously_ Jokes aside, in most cases youtube is indeed not something you want to cite unless your research is about youtube phenomena. Talking of which, I am so tempted to write a paper on costube haha. Already wrote one in booktube earlier in my studies so it'd make sense. Also I love how you explain humanities research sources in this video :) Thanks for the dresshistory research tips!

[@SparkleFeyed]

Tiffanyferg did an Internet Analysis video recently on costube, if you are interested in a KZbin video you shouldn't cite 😂

[@gildedgitta]

@@SparkleFeyed Haha I have already seen that! I would write my paper from different angle (focusing on vernacularity, maybe?) than she does her videod but I love her work!

[@m.maclellan7147]

Is tempted to go follow you & other folklore folks on KZbin, but realizes that I spend WAY too much time on YT already! (Blame Covid!)

[@gildedgitta]

@@m.maclellan7147 Haha, time management first! I don't do videos myself (I am horribly camera shy, but maybe one day) but folklore has a lot of cool stuff to learn :)

[@m.maclellan7147]

@@gildedgitta in ye Olde Days, I bought some used Foxfire books.....LOVED THEM ! I am a big fan of stories that also teach you a usable skill ! Sometimes the power goes out & you'll be the only one who knows how to DO things.....and may have some interesting stories to tell as you do ! ;)

[@LedgerAndLace]

Bahahaha LOVED the laudanum reference. Funny because it's true! I was reading a primary herbal remedy source from a 19th century doctor, and almost EVERY remedy ended with, "Greater efficacy is achieved by the addition of laudanum." Also, Subie doing "acrobat yoga" with you is ADORABLE! :-)

[@נועהכרמלי-ה5ר]

Terminology is really difficult when you're in non english speaking countries. I tried buying corset materials and discovered that from everything I needed only bias tape has a name in hebrew

[@fatimaalaa2659]

I think it's mainly that our ancestors dressed so differently from the westerners up until the last century. Don't take my words for granted as my only source is my mother, but due to factors like climate (you _know_ the inescapable _heat)_ availability of resources & a strong leaning towards conservative clothes, the way Middle-Eastern people dressed, & the tools & terms they used when making the dress, is drastically different from the form-fitting, revealing, & warmly layered clothes of the west. Also the sad fact that paople hear are generally way too occupied with putting politics into everything to care about preserving any sort of local history, let alone dress history, so even if the names existed, there's just no easy way for people to learn them

[@Agforever12]

I tried researching traditional folk costumes from other countries and the websites weren’t in English, so I used the automatic website translator on google and so much stuff made no sense

[@jcfish5947]

Some university libraries will offer borrower's cards for an annual fee - not totally free, but def cheaper than trying to access databases on your own. In addition, even if your local library is small or poorly resourced, it might be part of a consortium that has access to online databases. Calling or emailing libraries in your area might turn up more than you expect :)

[@MomsMakingHistory]

Library of Congress! They have a massive online collection with high resolution images that are copyright freeeeeeeee!!!

[@cincocats320]

One thing I found looking at primary sources is that you do have to be aware of the author and who they are in relation to the topic. A while ago I was researching 1790s to 1820s fashion in Spain. The majority of easily accessible primaries that I found in English on google books or archives that included descriptions of local or folk dress were travel books written by American men for a grand tour type of audience. So even though they were from the time period, they would use terms that were either mistranslated or misspelled or just flat out wrong and their descriptions/illustrations would make me scratch my head trying to figure out what the heck they were talking about. I was able to use the books as a starting point but then had to go delving down lots of rabbit holes to find the proper terminology and methods of production for some garments by tracking down and cross referencing with some Spanish sources. I suspect anyone trying to research historical or folk costumes outside the more common English or French sphere of influence would encounter similar problems. If you don't speak the language of the region you are researching it can be challenging to figure out the local, period-correct terms for regional garments. And I'm here for all the B roll doggie footage😻

[@GenderIsAnIllusion]

For Australians, Trove is a great source for recent history. Bit more information for at home ancient historians: We don't have primary/secondary sources. We have Modern sources and Contemporary sources. Contemporary are split into written and physical, and some societies don't have a written contemporary sources which can be translated (*cough cough* 'Minoans' *cough cough*).

[@AssignedCryptid]

Glad I'm not the only Australian interested in fashion history desperately lamenting the amount of historical sources other countries have, lol. Not going to lie, I've been considering a massive research project to consolidate information and sources on Australia's 18th and 19th century colonial fashion because I'm sick of it being all over the place and hard to find. Are the any that you recommend in particular?

[@GenderIsAnIllusion]

@@AssignedCryptid Can't say I do, I only know the database from year 8 history when we did stuff with WW2. I know the National Trust in Victoria has some good pieces (www.nationaltrust.org.au/collections/costume-collection/). All the best with your research though.

[@emv7316]

I love Trove, and found the consolidated collection of the Australian Women's Weekly a good resource, not only for fashion, patterns and pictures, but the suggestions of what patterns and materials were recommended for different age groups and occasions.

[@bethanyadina829]

Just going to pop the link to Trove in here 🙂: trove.nla.gov.au/

[@Aussieloz1]

Old Bailey is excellent. I was having a wander through, looking at information on the First Fleet. It was amazing to see how many people were transported to Australia for stealing articles of clothing!

[@brissygirl4997]

If looking at Australian history make sure you check out the history of Norfolk Island as well. It was a penal colony for the 'really' bad people. My mum visited Norfolk about 20 odd years ago and told me the story of someone who had been sent there for stealing a handkerchief.

[@MizzMaree7]

It appears that an ancestor of mine - was stolen from multiple times: John Rysdale a hosier, walking in (no, really) Drury-Lane - had his handkerchief stolen. Mr. George Webb was transported (at age 20) for 14 years. A few years later he's a silk-stockmaker and his brother in law who was let go the day prior, a Mr. Charles Tyrrell, breaks into the warehouse and steals a bunch of things. Transported 10 years.

[@jenniferkrohnbourgeois71]

As someone who teaches College Freshmen how to write research papers, I endorse all these tips! Especially the bonus tip.

[@blancatg4527]

As someone in academia I always get angry when there are no sources in research

[@whodapole]

It's even harder when you're no longer affiliated to any university and all your favourite sources are behind paywalls now :(

[@Moonlily23]

I am just about to start an independent study MA class on the history of the male gaze in women's clothing so,,,,, thank you so much for making my life 10x easier,,,,,,

[@kimberlyrusso2541]

Will be back to take notes... I have been doing family history/research for years now. But will be researching dress history to help with family members I have found, as far back as 1685. There are no photos or physical descriptions of them but this will help picture them as people instead of names and dates on paper.

[@roxiepoe9586]

As a retired English teacher, I am now going to share this video with my friends who are currently teaching. The art of research intersecting with the science of the research happens here! It is soul-grinding to examine papers that are just the same regurgitation of the same easily found, boring, sources. (As an English teacher, it is about the process more than the information. However, it is nice to meet interesting in the sea of sameness! ) Thank you for being a passionate flaming beacon of research greatness.

[@lisam5744]

I love history and all that goes into it. While I loved the fur-baby pics, my first thought was, 'How could I be sick of watching someone talking about researching history?'

[@isabelpires927]

Source quality is sooooooo important, as I always tell my students! Interestingly, in science we use in text citations rather than footnotes, footnotes are rare in scientific papers.

[@lauravivanco]

Yes, I was thinking this must be field specific. In my field, footnotes/endnotes are for asides/supplementary comments, so a lack of footnotes/endnotes would not be an indication of a lack of rigour. What matters is that there's a list of works cited and references to those works in the correct places in the body of the text.

[@historylyn9520]

Not a dress history resource but a resource for plants and other cool old books the BHL. Which is the Biodiversity Heritage Library it is a completely free digitized library.

[@persiswynter6357]

I loved doing my own research! I loved getting sidetracked because I saw an interesting book in the stacks as I was going by. I loved finding the odd little stories in newspapers as I was scanning for my keywords. No, none of it was helpful in the least, but it was really fun!

[@joannaaugustine2310]

Also, if you find a journal article you want to read but it's behind a paywall, email the main author requesting a copy, frequently they'll just send you a copy

[@FlybyStardancer]

Yay research tips!! (Definitely a Nerdy McNerd-Nerd) Cute puppy pics!! ...Now Im curious as to what you found and how your opinion on witch hats has changed! ...Maybe a pt 2 video? XD

[@AbbyCox]

It didn't really change, change, but there's was just more uncovered that gives even *more* nuance to the discussion...

[@Melavara]

@@AbbyCox just for the record, in case you wondered, we’d absolutely watch another entire video with the updated research 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@beeb6730]

I would very happily watch an update video even if the changes are subtle, I'm here for all the witch hat videos

[@pepperreed.33]

As a Quaker, I am 100% DOWN with updated nuance...

[@rebekahlarsen7691]

Abby: You shouldn't be citing a youtube video in an academic paper Me: Oops

[@tarbucktransom]

I think that's just academic arbitrariness, the unwillingness to acknowledge plebian-made sources as secondary because only the approval of old power structures "matters". That's why newspaper reporting gets to be a primary source when it's so often wall to wall lies. Ever read a newspaper article about something you're an expert in? If the argument is anyone can make a KZbin video, I'd counter with anyone can write a book. A video that cites its sources goes into the exact same category to me as anything else that cites sources. If you've ever worked in a position that produces those secondary sources (or even many of the primary ones in the case of science) you'd know exactly how arbitrary the process is, and the lack of meaningful oversight to it. If things the smallfolk make independently can be as legitimate as the ivory tower approved ones, that would break their monopoly on what gets considered true.

[@whodapole]

Depending on the reference style you're using, you can use some KZbin videos as sources, but you still have to evaluate whether the video/channel is trustworthy - for instance, a recording of Soviet News with translations reporting on Chernobyl as it happened, is a good primary resource. But a reaction video to the same source material probably isn't a good source.

[@MossyMozart]

@@tarbucktransom - It all depends on who wrote the words/ filmed the video/ what they knew/ and what they put into it. That is why even Wikipedia has lists of reliable sources vs unreliable sources. Examples: "Washington Post" vs "The Daily Mail" and an animal nutritionist trained at Cornell's veterinary college vs a yahoo down the street.

[@audrab.589]

Non-standardized spelling in historical primary sources, Yay! I used to be a history teacher and I would tell students to put in multiple spellings in searches.

[@bookhoarding]

All of this was super helpful, and I so so so appreciate your ask to not just use people to answer your assignments for class! I've gotten that A LOT and it's just exhausting. I also wanna say thank you for telling folks not to take this info as a reason to go completely trash other people's videos or work. I've seen that happen time and again in this community and it's never just a "hey, that's interesting because I found this one resource that says something different than your research" it's flat out "you're stupid and you don't know what you're talking about." Like... c'mon people. We don't need to be like this.

[@kiraakakitsune7786]

Wait wait wait, other people don't have the whole "sources talk" in secondary school? …but why? We had it in like 10th grade at least, but I think even before that.

[@ClaraCB5]

I studied languages/translation at uni in France, moved to the UK for the third year of my BA and finished my studies there, and only learned about sources, references and citations then 😂 guess you were lucky!

[@sabr_mandarina]

@@ClaraCB5 ...wait so you weren't required to write a coursework at the end of each semester? bc in russia you are, and citations are necessary. in fact, even my high school had that system

[@sabr_mandarina]

...does "coursework" mean the same thing in english..

[@kiraakakitsune7786]

@@sabr_mandarina In German I think you would mean "Halbjahresarbeit" but in English it would be something like "term paper"

[@kendraevans3613]

Looking for footnotes is the academic version of asking for the receipts

[@VBirchwood]

The Gutenberg Project is a great resource as well!

[@lynnstevens9666]

FWIW, in the 1970s and early 1980s, there were multiple editions of all the major daily newspapers in Chicago. Nobody could ever explain why the overnight edition was called the "bulldog" edition, but there was always at least two editions per day. And until the late 1970s, Chicago had four papers. Can you imagine the resources for future researchers?

[@nidomhnail2849]

Newspapers went from paper to microfilm. As an undergrad (from Chicago !! - ah, sweet home Chicago), I spent many days reading microfilm. It is nearly impossible to search microfilm; you need other primary sources to locate the period to search. The move from microfilm to digital was bumpy. The first-generation digital was not searchable. Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software turned letters and numbers into searchable words and numbers. A long strange trip it has been. It is getting better, and more and more work will be accessible for all with enough pressure.

[@m.maclellan7147]

I believe Boston had morning and evening Editions of several newspapers (7 is sticking in my head?!) at the turn of the century, but, can't cite that ! ;) Just remember photos of crowded downtown streets with newsboys hawking papers and almost everyone in the image had a paper. (Was mostly men in the photo).....

[@lynnstevens9666]

@@nidomhnail2849 Bummer! I didn't learn about microfilm until I worked for a paper in Michigan that had a circulation under 50,000. We had a "secretary" who could find what you wanted on microfilm as fast as a current computer can find things. Of course she was paid about $8 an hour because that's how they paid women in the 1990s. Who is going to apply the pressure you suggest? I worked for City News Bureau and WMAQ AM and FM and frankly, nobody gave a damn. As WMAQ Radio has disappeared, as has CNB, I imagine there's nobody out there who does. When I wrote this, I sincerely hoped this would be an additional source for researchers but from what you wrote, apparently not.

[@nidomhnail2849]

@@lynnstevens9666 True, true about her salary. Your story about the talented underpaid secretary reminded me of the movie Desk Set with Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy. Wonderful fashions from the 1950s. During the pandemic, JSTOR opened its access to non-subscribers. If JSTOR finds benefits in doing this, other electronic journals may reconsider their crazy restricted subscriptions. Check out PubMed, an index used for medical/public health publications. If the research was funded by US Federal dollars, PubMed provides free access. Journal authors can pay about $2,000 to make their work accessible to the public. Researchers with grants have included these fees in their budgets. It is nice, but it means that only funded research is more accessible. My field (economics) puts out working papers for free (RePEc). When the paper is accepted by the journal, the working paper is taken down. Interestingly, some authors forget to remove the working paper from their web page. There are cracks in the (pay)wall.

[@joiadevita]

Okay but THANK YOU for not just providing sources that focus solely on what upper and middle class Europeans/white Americans were wearing.

[@doricavala3503]

For dress history after about 1845, photography exists! The Library of Congress has digitized photographic images-it’s important to look at photos because what people are actually wearing isn’t always the same as what’s shown in fashion illustrations.

[@Sparkingthislife]

Thank you for these! I was wondering how to find reputable resources for research. And fyi- yep- newspapers used to have a morning edition and an evening edition. Morning editions were typically localish news and evening editions were more global/national news.

[@Littlebeth5657]

Doctors be like: at LEAST 5 fruit and veg a day..... Me (and Abby): Yay I ate one vegetable look at me gooooooo XD

[@CapriUni]

Not a dress historian, just a gal who nerds hard for the Humanities (went through an MFA in Creative Writing program, and got everything but the legal piece of paper that proves it). But I do have two things to say: 1) Footnotes are where all the cool kids hang out, and 2) Also, check the bibliography or Works Cited. If the author your reading keeps citing *themselves* -- Drop that source and Run.

[@LotsofWhatever]

I m a librarian and I hate, hate, hate when students just send me what their professor gave them and they don't even bother to turn it I to a question 😑 HathiTrust is great. If you don't have access to an institutional subscription you can't download whole books (you can do pages) and some material isn't accessible but A LOT is. Also, Chronicling America has great papers and is free. Material from does turn up in part elefind. There are also newspaper (and maps, photographs, some digitized books, and some digitized personal papers) on the Library of Congress website.

[@daisymae3717]

This is very helpful. I do American civil war reenacting and we are a Northern unit. Of course I have my black nurse uniform but what would a Northern lady ware everyday? Around camp? To a ball? I know the silhouette but what patterns would the fabric have? I wad told plad was in style but turns out that's more 50's than 60s. I really want to see fashion plates. Also I received bought an old ladies jacket, I think its late 1800s but honestly idk, it's kind of ambiguous.

[@nikkicafeina]

Librarian's pro tip: most community College and university libraries in the US will help you out even if you're not affiliated with their institution. Some things (checking out books, primarily) you'll need a library card for BUT many academic libraries are connected to some kind of state or local consortia that can give you access without needing to be a student or faculty. Just walk in and ask a librarian for help, I promise if we can give you access we totally will--it's the entirety of the reason the library is there.

[@LiterarySnob]

If you have attended a University, you were given a student ID card. That has a library access number on it. I finished my education in 2009 and I can still check out and access databases. The V&A museum also has an incredible collection of fabric prints! They have the physical books of samples, But I wonder if you can access that through the internet.

[@rhondacrosswhite8048]

Yup. I graduated in ‘04 but I still use mine to access Jstor.

[@lucie4185]

Does this work for ancient people who were students before library databases existed?

[@cindyrosser2471]

Gosh, y'all are lucky, my student ID card for both universities I attend were disabled the month after I graduated.

[@rhondacrosswhite8048]

@@lucie4185 I was 40 when I went back to complete my degree. I was 52 when I finally graduated with an MD PHD from one school and a masters from another school. Lol, I’m 64 now and still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up.

[@Midhiel]

Unfortunately many universities revoke access to everything once students graduate. I graduated in 2016 and my ID, email address, university login, etc. all expired before the year ended.

[@notafloor]

This makes me so happy!! In April I finished my (high school) final thesis on fashion history. I live in the Netherlands and Dutch museums aren't particularly invested in fashion history. But the Rijksmuseum has a sort of Pinterest like part of their website, where you can search through their digital archive and save items to a board. You can share these with other people on the website, which means that there are a ton of people who have made these "collections" on one particular topic that you are free to browse through. It's called rijksstudio. They have a very extensive digital archive, with detailed descriptions for each item. Descriptions of extant garments can be a bit lacking and a lot of extant garments (though listed) don't include pictures. But they have a ton of fashion plates and 19-th century photographs on there. Which you can sort by date. I've tried both the Met's and V&A's digital archive and I honestly think the Rijksmuseum's is the easiest to navigate. So whether you're researching fashion history, or just art history in general I heavily recommend it. (also the textile museum in Tilburg has a library with tons of books on textiles and a few on fashion history, which you can access if you get to visit the museum)

[@lizvanwessem2055]

since youtube seems to have eaten my original comment: here we go again! If you're in a situation where you've read a word in a primary source but struggling with determining what it means, then I would definetly recommend the Oxford English Dictionary. It isn't free to use BUT many public libraries have subscriptions to it so you may have local access, wherever you are (I'd def use this after you've tried other sources though). What is most useful about it, is that it gives alternative spellings, so it would catch Abby's tailor/taylor example in the video, and also gives different definitions for the word, including historical ones. So for example, a search there of 'corset' has 4 definitions. Each definition then has a listing of dated uses from different sources, so the second definition of Corset is the one that most people here would give, and I think the first time that was used in written literature (and that has survived to us today) is from 1795, according to OED, followed by a patent in 1796. OED will then give a few examples, followed by the last time it was used, so you get a date range for the use of the word by definition. As I'm sure you can imagine, that's really useful, esp for historians. I'd also recommend not ignoring twitter. historians on twitter pay attention to the hashtag #twitterstorians and it is quite common amongst working historians when they're having difficulty in reading a word in a *£$%*! badly written hand (ask me how often I've experienced this) to turn to twitter for help. Dos and don'ts: do transcribe as much as you can, put a good picture in, if you can put two in, do - one close up of the troublesome word, one of the word in context. Do put your own transcription in the tweet itself, and give info on the source, e.g. it's a will (or whatever). Don'ts - don't expect full transcriptions of a whole document. that's just cheeky and will get you ignored pretty fast. but it's a great way to make connections online, and as I said, use the #twitterstorians hashtag. Many historians work on twitter, so if a historian you read has published recently, its worth checking if they have a twitter handle and if your !$£@&*%" word is period/subject specific to them, do @ them. If you're up for reading UK doctoral theses then many of them are available online from the British Library - Ethos is the database in question (google Ethos), which has a listing of just about every UK-based PhD thesis written (the listings include abstracts so you can get a good feel for what the thesis is about). That doesn't mean that every single one is available to download for free via Ethos (Oxbridge in particular don't allow it) but many are, and even where they're not free, sometimes it's cost effective to download esp if you're across the ocean. Cambridge wasn't too expensive the last time I had to do it, for example. Worth a look. Lastly, check British History Online - google will find it (I think youtube ate my last comment cos of links so not including them). It's a free to use website with lots of primary sources on it, run by the Institute of Historical Research. IHR provide a lot of data, including the BBIH - the bibliography of British and Irish History which is a FANTASTIC database of every book/article/whatever published on British or Irish history since the year dot... I think it goes back to Caesar. :D It isn't free to use but like the Oxford English Dictionary, many public libraries have subscriptions: its worth checking if yours has. This is useful because you can put a subject search in and get a list back of books/articles/etc. published on it, and you can then export that list to something like excel for you to take home and see what you can trace via other sources like google books. To anyone stepping into the world of historical research: good luck, its a wonderful field and one I truly love!!!

[@lizvanwessem2055]

@@valeriem8480 you're welcome! Hope it's useful! There's another comment i wrote further down with a link to a page that has a lot of free resources listed, it was set up IN March 2020 after lockdown prevented many people from working in archives. I think that's worth checking out too!

[@Ater_Draco]

This was so interesting. My inner researcher has become a little dusty over the past year, so this was like a fresh breeze through cobwebs 💖

[@nurmihusa7780]

Digitized newspapers are fabulous if you’re writing a historical novel. BTW. You can look up a specific date in a major town and find out what the weather is like - what people are talking about: What’s the latest scandal. Etc. etc.

[@jeanneclark99]

Also useful for family genealogy. I discovered from a weather history site that there was a record heat wave the summer my grandmother was pregnant with my mom. When I told my mom, she said that her mother had complained about the heat of that summer, but Mom always thought it was just pregnancy-brain perspective. Now we know there really was something to complain about--and I can include that in my family history. Being able to include then-current fashion, technology, politics, etc in family histories makes for wonderful context.

[@rebekahhaas3541]

The timing on this is impeccable. I'm working on a major research project on the evolution of crochet in fashion from 1920's to 2020's.

[@JuulThijssen]

captions: academic research in humidity topics. me: nods and takes notes. (but for reals thank you for the captions and I love your videos dear Abby!)

[@daisyrose9968]

I have not yet been able to begin gradually purchasing the books I need. For decades I have been gradually buying things I need for my sewing and for setting up my Sewing & Crafts Room. Beyond this so very much more I need to learn. There are times I feel like a sponge soaking it all in and holding it all very dear to my heart.

[@christineherrmann205]

It's been a while since I had to do scientific research but boy did this bring back memories. Great list of resources, too! ❤️

[@ManorandMaker]

Super helpful for someone just starting out, non-academic - but absolutely loves nerding out, going to down rabbit holes, and adorable doggos. Thanks!

[@mary78880]

Thank you so much!!!!! I want to get into historical dressmaking but the knowledge that there is soooo so so much I don't know is overwhelming. Not knowing where to start or how to look trips me up every time.

[@lilithlaney1759]

As someone who has always loved vintage fashion but only really got into costubers and making the switch in my own wardrobe in 2020 this video is EXTREMELY helpful. Thank you so much!!!

[@WolkeYume]

felt really called out withthe terminology part, because I'm watching/reading all this dress history stuff in English and I know the terminology now, but I have no idea what those things are called in my native language😂🙈

[@aileenbell6750]

This warmed my history educator heart. Well done!

[@curiouslywoven9737]

Was Project Gutenberg mentioned? Thank you for another great video. Would be interested in your views on where material objects fit in the primary/secondary source - had a friend (literary scholar) argue that archaeological artifacts (I’m lit., arch, and ecology scholar) may be primary sources in themselves but any information gathered from them were secondary sources at best. Was an interesting discussion between two medievalists. In a similar vein would be very interested in any discussions/videos that discuss some of the processes for identifying terminology when all of the initial information is solely a physical object - lets say a garment in this instant.

[@racheldobbs2028]

These are excellent tips. It's basically what historians do. I learned this when I took History as a major in undergrad and when I got my history master's degree. It takes a lot of work but is also enjoyable when you find some amazing stuff but yeah--research--question--definitely look at the footnotes/endnotes, etc :)

[@CyberMercy]

As the Ancient One prompted Doctor Strange to say: study and practice; years of it.

[@missmatti]

I wish you made this video before I uploaded my video on the history of mending! 😝 That being said I had already picked up some of your recommendations and where to find information for free from your previous videos which helped immensely so in the end I found some pretty good sources. If I ever will make a fashion history video again I know where else to look now. 😉

[@reginacooper386]

Thank you, Abby, for posting what is essentially a superb Intro to Historical Research lecture. You made the dry, eye-crossing, but oh so important differentiation of sources WAY more entertaining than I ever could.

[@brendabelcher3197]

Antique Pattern Library is a fun source .

[@noblemily]

Thank you, Abby, as a nerd I'm very excited! Especially with that Bunka Gakuen Library Digital Archive. I've always felt frustrated when study about historical clothing of the east, since there has so much more database for European or American dress history. Plus we have less photographic data and no realistic painting to show the details, and the real peaces are in the museum far away in China, Korea, or Japan. Furthermore, we have very few authentic patterns for traditional clothing, which is pretty sad:(

[@m.maclellan7147]

I agree. I LOVE learning about different cultures and the East is NOT well represented in the dominant U S.A. culture. So much culture can be learned through dress history, which thanks to Covid, I have become fascinated with !

[@noblemily]

@@m.maclellan7147 I know! I’d love to figure out what kind of life they had in the past, especially my ancestors, who probably didn’t have much privilege in their lives. Unfortunately It is really hard to research about poor people’s culture in the East, ‘cuz they were rarely been mentioned, so most of the historical dramas are focused on the rich people.

[@MaxMoloko]

Newspapers were published twice a day for some time, early edition in the morning and late editions at noon. Printer machines were not fast enough to print the whole edition at night so that gave the editors time to exchange parts of the paper during the day.

[@murmurecostume]

The dogs' pics *chef's kiss* and for the databases, for french speaking people, there's Gallica, the online database of the french national library, and there are some treasures on there !

[@bugandbirdphotography]

Thank you for this video!!!!! As a middle school librarian that fact that you made this makes me so happy 😊

[@mch12311969]

As one academic (or rather academically trained) to another, thank you, thank you! Though, I may have to disagree slightly on older secondary sources (sans footnotes) as they good in my opinion for seeing where certain ideas came from or how those ideas have changed over time.

[@amywhitson9479]

If you are studying the changing ideas over time, then people expressing their ideas or interpretations over time are going to be primary sources from that perspective. It just depends on what you are using the source for.

[@verenaswolkenstein8985]

Great, that you are emphasizing questioning everything. Many people seem to have forgotten, this is, what lets research progress, and not only in the field of history, but on any subject.

[@simplymedieval]

A tip for looking at sources. I find that it is really easy to slip in to the ditch when I am looking for proof that something I like is correct. Because I am more willing to discard the bells in my head that says "is that REALLY a good source?" and "is this a one thing or a common thing for that period?". So I instead look for things that tells me that I am wrong. And if I can't find anything that proves me wrong... then I can start looking for the proof that I am right, and that it was a thing, or even a common thing :)

[@3bellam]

dude you have NO idea how helpful this is. I know I'm not a legitimate fashion historian or anything, but I just LOVE finding reliable sources, even if it's just for a picture on a Pinterest board(yes, I'm very strict on my dress history boards lmao). You're a savior Abby!!

[@m.maclellan7147]

As an artist, Pinterest makes me CRAZY !!! Hardly ever are the Artists given credit for their work !!!! Watermark your images, kiddos !

[@juliamorton3438]

I have reached out to a business once, although it was for a theatre production course and I needed some quotes for rental costs of historical costumes for budgeting. The person was very kind and I then shared the info with classmates and my prof. Another note. Now that I am a teacher, I feel like I can see myself using this video for teaching about the types of research and why citations are important. You have explained it in a clear way that is also very welcoming and engaging.

[@robinhahnsopran]

This whole VIDEO is an amazing resource! I'm an big opera history nerd, and as you can imagine, some of the research involved in opera history is hard to find - particularly if you're looking up a person who wasn't a straight white male global superstar. I haven't checked some of these resources before, and the next time I do a deep dive into an opera research project, I'll look through these!

[@mialemon6186]

Someone once suggested I start a private discord to post links with notes and it's the best tip I got. I have different channels for different topics (or time periods) and it's searchable and things don't get lost in my bookmarks forever.

[@marliesethomas]

As an academic librarian, I 100% support everything Abby says here!

[@scorchedroseproductions3266]

According to my English professor in college: "You can use KZbin to be a jumping off source, and you can include it in your bibliophile, but if you are using information from it, you must be able to verify and defend it in both the paper in in verbal communication." I miss being in college

[@MrNicvicrih]

Literally calling to my heart. Stress searching for images of book inners and rolling my eyes at google on recommended for “potential Missearch” suggestions. No I do not mean “hopalong Cassidy”

[@HogwartsMuggles]

Such an amazing video! A couple tips from your local MLIS student. A lot of libraries/universities will offer research classes that you can attend or have tutorials on their website. These are great because you learn Boolean search terms, how to navigate advanced searches, keyword vs subject search, ect. Databases with a lot of resources are great but can be overwhelming so knowing how to navigate them really helps. Also alongside library resources don’t be afraid to ask the reference librarian for help with research, they’ll also help you navigate this stuff and a lot of ref services are offered virtually these days too! Also look into seeing if your local community college is a part of your library system. A lot of states require community colleges to also be open to the public because they are funded by local tax money. This is awesome because it can give you access to academic sources and databases. One last tip in terms of terminology. Look to see what subject terms are assigned to the resources. A lot of databases will use a controlled vocabulary to help with searching and so terms are assigned to resources (this system isn’t always perfect but it helps!). Clicking on the hyperlinked term in the resource’s description should bring up other sources that are assigned that term. For example “tailor” might be assigned to a resource even though it is spelled “taylor” in the source material. Meaning that even though the spelling is “taylor” searching “tailor” should bring it up. Like I said this system isn’t perfect so you still have to play around with your search terms but it can revel some new sources and can help you learn the terminology while you search!

[@woodenkat8971]

Sources are so important! Was reading a very popular health book, thin on sources but properly cited, looked up the sources, because that's what the cool kids do. The research he quoted directly contradicted his primary thesis. Always check your sources.

[@DawnOldham]

I just want to say: I LOVE YOU AS THE HOST OF YOUR OWN CHANNEL! I LIKED you as a part of other channels. Lol What does that mean? Just that your level of enthusiasm and charisma is best on its own platform. You’re doing a fantastic job here- so witty and personable and of course, knowledgeable!

[@inchb.wigglet640]

This video is so great. I just want you to know I was the person who did not get so much out of the last one, and expected the next would be more my speed. But I had no idea I would love it so much. This is going in my research bookmarks folder.

[@marliesethomas]

"How much laudanum are you on?" should be a new meme.

[@ahlydesigns7926]

Oh my gosh, on the note of that what not to do advice, boy do I have a story! A reenactment friend of mine is well known in our reenactment group for specializing in a certain time period and culture, let’s say early Norse. They were working at a museum that has nothing to do with early Norse, but they were still working with old textiles. Someone from the reenactment group had the gall to email the general staff email looking for them to answer a question that was basically “since you work at museum xyz can you use your connections to get information about a certain item housed at museum abc?”. Luckily their boss was very cool about it but they could have absolutely been in a ton of trouble. Also their museum had no connection to the other museum, this person just assumed any that works in a museum must know everyone else that works in museums.

[@batwench]

Additional sources, local history societies or offices. They are a gold mine and are generally staffed by people who are so knowledgeable about things. Don't forget about your grandparent's stuff. You may think of it as the old papers are trash but they are a great source.

[@Mintleafes]

This is what I’ve been looking for 😭 I’ve recently (as in the last week) become interested in fashion history. I’ve been trying to find what era or century I’m most interested in so this is very helpful! Thank you!

[@amandaduckett3093]

Thank you so much for this video! I've never been good at school, as I have ADHD, so I basically did the bare minimum in my academic classes. But I've always been interested in history, especially architectural, woodworking, and dress. In the past couple years I've been wanting to dive more into my historical special interests, but I had no clue how to learn about such niche topics, especially woodworking :b I recently refinished a pair of dressers for my boss that, with my amateur research skills, dated to the late 1920's. Using your suggestions I hope to be able to get better at sourcing info than just figuring out when certain tools/teqniques were invented then googling old furniture catalogs to narrow down the age based on similar styles XD

[@kaytiej8311]

Abby, as a recent doctoral graduate, this is a really great resource video in itself! Very clear and thorough. Loving your passion for research and sharing it with others.😊

[@MaireColclough]

I'm relieved to not be alone in my fascination with old copies of Delineator 😁

[@Grace414]

People talk about not using Wikipedia and KZbin videos as sources, while I agree, they are an awesome way to find sources. I like to look at what was sighted on those and go from there.

[@amychissong]

Look at you teaching information literacy on a Sunday morning! My librarian heart is all aflutter.