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September 11, 2001 Twenty Years Later: Researching 9/11

This guide is a companion to the Odum LIbary exhibit and meant for researchers as well as the public

Overview of researching a complex topic like September 11, 2001

Searching GALILEO and Odum Resources

There are many articles in GALILEO and other scholarly databases about September 11, 2001 and its impact. In most databases,including the Odum catalog, the main subject heading* is

SEPTEMBER 11 Terrorist Attacks, 2001

Related subject headings include, but are not limited to:

WAR on Terrorism, 2001-2009

CASUALTIES in the September 11 Terrorist Attacks, 2001

WORLD Trade Center (New York, N.Y. : 1970-2001)

Afghan War, 2001-2021

Qaida (Organization) 

Taliban

Some of the main individuals in this event include

Bush, George W. 1946-

Bin Laden, Osama, 1957-2011

Related search terms for complex searches could include

Counterterrorism

Conspiracy Theories

Terrorism -- Health aspects

OBAMA, Barack, 1961-

Memory

Islamophobia

 

*a subject heading is an authorized term that assists with effiicient searching. It is one of many ways to look for resources. 

CQ Researcher

How to search for primary sources

Primary sources are items that give insight to an event, person or place by being contemporary to the time. These are almost never scholarly sources, and are often created by average people. 

For September 11, 2001 research, many primary sources are available. 

Narratives

Testimony

Newspaper articles

Websites

Eyewitness accounts

Photographs

Artifacts

Since so much of the morning of September 11, 2001 unfolded on live television, and the internet age was already widely accessible, many accounts are available in multiple formats. 

 

How to search for news resources for September 11, 2001

To search for newspaper articles about September 11, use newspaper databases like the ones below. Use the search tools to adjust the dates to 2001, or whichever range you choose. The investigations into the events of that day went on for several years. 

Useful tips

  1. "September 11" or "9/11" won't be an especially useful search, but any of the flight numbers, buildings, people, or organizations would work.
  2. Many newspapers reprint articles from wire services. This means nearly identical articles may appear several times, so look closely to avoid duplication in sources.
  3. The events of September 11 happened after the newspapers were printed for the day, so the major coverage would start September 12 or 13.