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Disease Detectives: 1918 Flu vs. COVID

Welcome to the Disease Detectives Research Guide!

Here's where you'll find links to resources that will help you as you move through the research process and analyze how the 1918 Influenza Pandemic was covered in historical newspapers, and compare it to contemporary media coverage of COVID-19.

 

Remember to use the Topic Triangle to develop a focused topic. The "Events" corner of the triangle is the 1918 Pandemic. The other two corners are up to you and your group!

 

Hint: Come up with a list of synonyms and time-appropriate alternate terms for your topic. The words we use today might not be the words people used in 1918.  For example, if your subject is influenza and poverty, consider using search terms like "poor," "needy," or "destitute." Consider how newspapers might have tried to communicate with their readers. This is where the detective work comes in!

databases & sources for context

The following websites also provide interested contextual information:

historical newspapers

The following websites also have rich collections of primary source material:

contemporary news sources

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