Produced by the University of Michigan Center for the History of Medicine and Michigan Publishing, University of Michigan Library
Influenza Encyclopedia
The American Influenza Epidemic of 1918-1919:
A Digital Encyclopedia
FAQ
Where did these materials come from? Where can I find them?
Please see our list of Acknowledgements.
Why can’t I download every image?
Although the majority of materials in the AIE are out of copyright or otherwise in the public domain, some are not. Any materials protected by copyright cannot be downloaded.
Please use any images you download from our site for personal or scholarly use only. If you wish to distribute these materials in print or electronically, you must receive permission. You can contact mpub-help@umich.edu for more information.
If I want to use images or text, may I do so?
These pages may be freely searched and displayed. Permission must be received for subsequent print or electronic distribution. For more information, please read the University of Michigan Library access and usage policy, or contact mpub-help@umich.edu.
Is there an official citation for the encyclopedia?
The preferred citation of our site is as follows:
[“Name of Article or Item,” if applicable] American Influenza Epidemic of 1918 - 1919: A Digital Encyclopedia. http://www.influenzaarchive.org. Date accessed.
Is there an official citation for items in the archive?
The preferred citation for items in the archive, such as a newspaper article, should look like:
"Grade Schools Will Not Open Here Tuesday." The Dayton Daily News. December 9, 1918. 1, 12. American Influenza Epidemic of 1918 - 1919: A Digital Encyclopedia. http://www.influenzaarchive.org. October 10, 2012.
Can I contribute photographs or other similar original materials to the archive?
You may inquire about contributing materials by using the information provided on the Contact the Editors page. Submitting materials does not guarantee that they will appear on the website as we must abide by our collections policy and copyright restrictions, as appropriate. We appreciate your interest in contributing to our project!
How To Use This Site
You can find information in the American Influenza Epidemic of 1918 - 1919: A Digital Encyclopedia (AIE) in two ways: by searching or by browsing. If you already know what you want to look for, it’s recommended that you search for your specific query. If you don’t have a particular topic in mind, you might take advantage of our browsing features.
Search Archive
You can search the AIE’s collection several ways.
1) From the search box on the homepage
Type in your query and then choose the resource that best matches your needs.
For example: If you search the collection for “nurses,”
these are the results you’ll receive:
If you don’t find what you wanted, try editing your search.
2) From the Homepage Banner
a. Basic Search
A simple, non-advanced search option. Recommended if you are just beginning your research or if you aren’t looking for anything too specific.
- Type what you want to search for into the text box. You can search within full text, title, publication (e.g. the name of a newspaper), subject or date. These options are available via the drop-drop menu to the right of the search text box.
- If desired, limit the potential search results by author, citation, or title. These options are available via the drop-drop menu to the right of the search text box.
- If you don’t get the results you were hoping for, select edit this search, which takes you to the Boolean advanced search.
b. Boolean
An advanced search option. Recommended if you have a complex search or are interested in something specific.
- You can search within either the full text or the title (via a drop-down menu).
- Take note of the Boolean search tips to the right of the search text box. They will help you limit your search.
c. Proximity
Allows you to search for queries based on their proximity (near or not near) to other items. You can select how many characters away you want to search. If desired, limit the potential search results by author, citation, or title via the drop-drop menu to the right of the search text box.
d. Bibliographic
Search to locate an item based on bibliographic information such as title, author or citation via the drop-drop menu to the right of the search text box.
e. Search History
Allows you to access your recent search terms and results. Your history on the website is tied to your session and expires when you close your browser window. In other words, you will not be able be access your search history from last week if you’ve closed your browser in the meantime.
Browse the Archive
You can browse the AIE’s collection in four ways.1) By clicking on any of the following icons on the homepage
(People: Takes you to A - Z list of important people)
(Places: Takes you to A - Z list of important places)
(Organizations: Takes you to an A - Z list of important organizations)
(Subjects: Takes you to A - Z list of important subjects)
2) By clicking on “Browse Archive” in the Header Banner
and then one of the following tabs (Title, Cities, Organizations, People, Places, Publications, or Subjects)
(Title: Takes you to an A - Z list of document titles)
(Cities: Takes you to an A - Z list of city names)
(Organizations: Takes you to an A - Z list of important organizations)
(People: Takes you to an A - Z list of important people)
(Places: Takes you to an A - Z list of important places)
(Publications: Takes you to an A - Z list of publication names (e.g. The New York Times)
(Subjects: Takes you to an A - Z list of important subjects)
3) You can browse content related to a specific city by selecting a linked city name under “50 U. S. Cities & Their Stories,” located on the right side of the homepage.
Clicking on a city’s name will take you to its homepage. From here you can access the city essay, timeline, and related images. To continue browsing through the cities alphabetically, click the previous or next buttons in the banner image.
4) You can also browse the archive by each item’s associated Keywords.
Beneath each document’s page image(s), you’ll notice that there is a list of hyperlinked Keywords.
Clicking on any of these links will take you to other articles that feature that keyword. So, for example, if you were interested in learning more about “Volunteers” during the epidemic, you could click “Subject -- volunteers” to browse through more articles about volunteers.