From the L. Perry Cookingham Collection held in LaBudde Special Collections
Search strategy is everything when it comes to locating primary sources. A good keyword or subject phrase can literally uncover a treasure trove of resources. We have created the section to help guide you toward better, more focused searches.
Keyword suggestions:
Preferred terms may vary between time periods and between countries and cultures.
Looking for resources related to servicemembers or military branches? Try the following keywords...
- Ensure you are using each countries' correct unit and branch names: Anzac for the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, Australian Flying Corps, Australian Naval and Military Expeditional Force, British Royal Navy for the UK.
- Ranks such as Private, Master Gunner, Lance Corporal, Ensign, Sergeant, Captain, Colonel, General
- Women served in a variety of capacities and may be located using keywords such as "Hello Girls" (switchboard), nurses, Navy yeomanettes
- African-American and Black servicemembers may be located using "ebony doughboys," "369th Black Rattlers," "370th Black Devils," 371st Infantry" (French), 372nd Red Hand Division, "Harlem Hell Fighters"
- Indiginous servicemembers may be searched specifically using terms like "Maori battalion," "Torres Strait Islander," "Aboriginal"
- Although they didn't enlist, search "conscientious objector" to see the roles they played in the war
Looking for general resources related to one country during the war? Be sure you use their preferred nomenclature...
- The U.S., Canada, and Australia refer to the war as World War I
- The U.K. refers to the war as First World War
- New Zealand refers to the war as World War One
Search tips:
Use Boolean operators to expand or limit your search...
- AND limits your search to only resources that contain both keywords. Ex: sailor AND Dreadnought
- OR expands your search to resources that have either keyword. Ex: sailor OR Dreadnought
- NOT limits your search by excluding possible resources. Ex: sailor AND Dreadnought NOT Germany
Use an asterisk (*) as a wildcard to expand your search when you want resources with a common beginning keyword...
- Nurs* will return "nurse," "nurses" or "nursing"
- Child* will return "child" or "children"
- Instruct* will return "instructors," "instruction," "instruct," and "instructable"
)