|
||||||
History Resources: Finding Primary Sources | |
 |
|
A primary source is a document or object written or created during the event or time period that is being studied. Often a primary source reflects the viewpoint of a participant or observer. In contrast, secondary (and tertiary) sources have often been created significantly later than the time period being studied and are often analyses or interpretations of the earlier era. Primary sources may be: Secondary and tertiary sources include: How Can I Find Primary Sources? 1. Identify relevant LC subject headings – often there are more than one Strategies: 1) look in the "Red Books"
Do not neglect more general searches or
you may miss compilations that contain your topic. 2. Get an overview of your topic using subject encyclopedias and books on the subject. Identify key participants, organizations, agencies. Make note of any documents or other primary sources mentioned in the literature. Keyword search “united states civil war encyclopedia” Examples of subject encyclopedias: 3. Some of our databases contain primary documents: History
Resource Center : U.S. 4. If applicable, find newspaper & magazine articles in databases Historical
New York Times (1850 – 1990s) 5. Look through bibliographies in subject encyclopedias, journal articles, on your books – they list other relevant secondary and often primary sources Look for books in our catalog, Utah’s catalog, other catalogs Search for journal articles in databases: • America
: History and Life – U.S. and Canada 6. Locate bibliographies and research guides on your topic – these usually include primary sources Keyword search “Watergate bibliography” Examples: 7. Search library catalogs for primary source materials using the LC subject headings you have identified: Strategies:
2) Do a Keyword search combining words from your LC headings with 8. Find primary source materials on the Internet -- evaluate the sites you find critically: e.g. “Vietnam war” +”primary sources” 1. Who is the author/source (credentials, expertise, affiliation)? Selected primary source sites on the Internet Repositories
of Primary Sources (University of Idaho Library) Ad*Access (Duke
University) American Memory (Library
of Congress) American Experience:
The Presidents (PBS) American Women’s History : A Research Guide (Middle Tennessee State University Library) -- Digital Collections of Primary Sources The
Avalon Project at Yale Law School : Documents
in Law, History and Diplomacy The
British Library Online Newspaper Archive (Pilot
Version) Civil War Women : Primary Sources on the Internet Directory of Digitized Collections : Theme - History (Unesco/IFLA) Electronic Text Center - English Online Resources (University of Virginia Library) -- Mostly literature and history topics. Not all documents are available for public access. EuroDocs: Primary Historical Documents From Western Europe (Brigham Young University) From Revolution to Reconstruction : Documents (University of Groningen, the Netherlands) -- Contains primary sources and transcripts of speeches History
Digital Library - Online Historical Documents (Academic
Info) Internet History Sourcebooks : 19th century Britain (Paul Halsall, Fordham University, NY) -- Collections of public domain and copy-permitted historical texts. Internet History Sourcebooks : U.S. Civil War (Paul Halsall, Fordham University, NY) -- Collections of public domain and copy-permitted historical texts. Internet Public Library : Historical Documents and Sources Librarian's
Index to the Internet : History Topics NARA - U.S. National Archives & Records Administration Presidential
Libraries Smithsonian Institution Thomas - U.S.
Congress on the Internet Vietnam Project (Texas Tech University) World War I Primary Document Archive (Brigham Young University) The World Wide Virtual Library : History Index (University of Kansas) -- some primary sources |
|
|
| © westminster college | 1840 south 1300 east | salt lake city, utah | 84105 | 801.484.7651 | campus map |