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History Study Centre

History Study Centre provides a vast collection of digitised primary and secondary sources for the study of global history from ancient times to the present day. It offers fully cross-searchable access to encyclopedias, journals, and reference works, plus a wide range of historical documents, maps, and multimedia material.

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Relevance to the National Curriculum

History Study Centre is suitable for the teaching and learning of history at all levels but is particularly appropriate for A/AS level and the International Baccalaureate.

It includes coverage of a wide range of curriculum topics including medieval, early modern, nineteenth and twentieth century British history; the First and Second World Wars; the Cold War; and modern American history.

See an example of how History Study Centre can be mapped to the AQA AS & A2 History syllabus.

Content

History Study Centre offers access to a wide range of primary and secondary sources:

  • Over 50 encyclopedias, biographical dictionaries and atlases
  • More than 60 journals, including titles such as History Review which are specifically intended for A/AS level students
  • Hundreds of primary sources - from transcripts of historical speeches to digitised newspapaper articles and government documents
  • Over 3,000 images plus video clips, all captioned to provide historical context
  • A wide range of maps, including over 40 which are animated and ideal for classroom use - for example, follow the rats to track the spread of the Black Death!

History Study Centre also provides a range of additional features:

  • Study units provide access to articles, images, maps, documents and weblinks relavant to over 300 important historical topics such as Roman Britain and The Hundred Years War
  • Document-based questions are available for more than 20 commonly-studied topics enabling students to evaluate and interpret a range of primary source extracts in response to questions such as "Why did Britain go to war on 4 August 1914?"
  • Essay-length introductions are available to historical texts and themes, from the Magna Carta to the Industrial Revolution
  • An interactive timeline covers 200 major events in world history
  • Links to more than 2,000 carefully-selected websites make follow up research quick and easy
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    • Reviews

    "...a premier collection of primary and secondary sources for historical study, with content that spans recorded history from ancient times through today's current events" The Charleston Adviser

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    Access options

    A range of access options is on offer to enable teachers and learners to use all JISC Collections for Schools resources both within the school (for example, by IP address) and from home (for example, via Shibboleth, a link on the school's secure intranet, and/or username and password).

    An unlimited number of staff and students at subscribing schools can access each JISC Collections for Schools resource concurrently so they can be used in the classroom with confidence.

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    Pricing

    Pricing is calculated according to the total number of learners at a school, or schools within a region - so the more schools that subscribe to a resource as a group, the lower the price per learner is likely to be.

    All suppliers have guaranteed that the prices negotiated by JISC Collections are the lowest available.

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    Subscription and invoicing information

    The agreement for History Study Centre runs until 31 August 2011.

    Schools and buying groups can subscribe at any time but are committed until the end of the subscription year in which their subscription starts i.e. 31 August 2010 or 31 August 2011.

    Charges will be prorated - for example, if a subscription starts on 1 January 2010, the cost of the subscription will be for 8 months until 31 August 2010.

    Please note that subscriptions will not be set up, and access granted, until a signed copy of the Acceptance of Licence Agreement Form (see below) has been received by JISC Collections for Schools.

    An invoice from the subscription start date until the end of the subscription year will also be issued when the signed copy of the Acceptance of Licence Agreement Form (see below) is received.

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    How to subscribe

    • View the Licence Agreement for History Study Centre
    • Download the Acceptance of Licence Agreement Form for History Study Centre
    • Complete the Acceptance of Licence Agreement Form, sign it, and return the full form as follows:

    Scan and email it to schoolshelp@jisc.ac.uk
    OR
    Post an unbound copy to:
    JISC Collections for Schools
    Unit 7, North Leigh Business Park
    North Leigh
    Oxfordshire OX29 6SW

    • Keep one signed copy of the full Acceptance of Licence Form for your records.
    • When the signed Acceptance of Licence Form has been received by JISC Collections for Schools, the publisher will be notified and access will be set up.
    • An invoice from the subscription start date until the end of the subscription year will also be sent when the signed Acceptance of Licence Form has been received by JISC Collections for Schools.
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    How to get the best price

    Prices offered through JISC Collections for Schools are guaranteed to be the lowest available. Schools subscribing individually to one or more JISC Collections for Schools resources benefit from discounts on publishers' list prices in the majority of cases, but schools subscribing as part of a buying group can achieve discounts of up to 75%.

    A buying group can consist of any group of schools in a region with a combined total of at least 2,500 learners that places an order for a resource at the same time.

    Local authorities, and organisations such as School Library Services, are taking an active role in coordinating buying groups in many areas in order to achieve the highest possible discount.

    In addition, an increasing number of schools in informal local or regional networks are also working together to secure the best possible pricing.

    To find out what is happening in your area, or if you would like help setting up a buying group, contact jcs-info@jisc.ac.uk.

    • Click here for pricing information
    • Click here to request a free 30-day trial
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    Support for teachers

    Teachers can use images, maps and primary source documents as the basis for homework or project assignments and for classroom exercises.

    Document based questions can be set as exam/essay practice.

    The "My Archive" facility can be used by teachers to create multiple folders of selected items that they wish to present to a class, and by learners for items they have selected.

    Additionally, over 40 animated maps are ideal for classroom use - for example an animated map using rats to demonstrate the spread of the Black Death.

    See further examples of how History Study Centre can be used in the classroom.

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    Free trials

    Free 30-day trials for all JISC Collections for Schools resources are available to enable schools and local authorities to assess their value in teaching and learning.

    • Request a free trial for your school, or for a group of schools
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    Further information

    Login URL

    www.historystudycentre.co.uk

    Product documentation

    Online documentation is available.

    Training materials

    An online demonstration is available.

    Technical, administrative, and user support

    Email schoolshelp@jisc.ac.uk
    phone: 01993 880044

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