The Fourth Edition of our highly affordable and convenient text remains an excellent tool for students faced with the daunting task of writing their first research paper or historiographical essay. The book begins with a chapter that describes the different schools of thought of history, setting the stage for a discussion of the different types of historical sources and the organization of the historical profession. Then Going to the Sources becomes a hands-on manual, helping the reader identify, find, and evaluate the many sources available to researchers. In addition to enhanced coverage of technological tools, this fourth edition features an entirely new chapter, "Getting the Most Out of History Books," practical advice to help students read more critically. New and updated appendices provide easy examples of style for footnotes, endnotes, and bibliographical entries, as well as a list of commonly used abbreviations.