Searching for Primary Sources
For your project, you need to search for and select primary sources. When you're looking for primary sources, look for sources that shed light on the topic you've chosen. If you're investigating the environmental impact of the atomic bomb, you'll want to look for primary sources that touch on that topic or add some information to that conversation. You might seek out reports on the environmental effects done in the years after, letters from people who witnessed the environmental impact, or images of the damage.
The best place to look for primary sources can vary widely depending on the topic you're interested in and the sources you would like to use. We've selected a few of the library's databases below that include primary sources. Want more? Check out the longer list of primary source collections in the History research guide.
- History Vault - ProQuest This link opens in a new windowHistory Vault is a collection of primary source material pertaining to the civil rights movement and to U.S. foreign policy during the Vietnam War era. This rich collection of federal records, letters, papers, photographs, scrapbooks, financial records, and diaries is organized in five subject categories: 1) Civil Rights and the Black Freedom Struggle; 2) Southern Life, Slavery, and the Civil War; 3) American Indians and the American West; 4) American Politics and Society; 5) International Relations and Military Conflicts; 6) Women's Studies; and 7) Workers and Labor Unions.
- U.S. History In Context - Gale This link opens in a new windowIncludes more than 5,000 primary source documents, full-text articles drawn from top periodicals and newspapers, thousands of images, videos, and audio selections.
- World History In Context - Gale This link opens in a new windowWorld History In Context reaches back to the ancient world — and forward to today's headlines — to deliver a chronicle of the great cultures and societies that have formed the history of the human race. Includes primary sources, reference, and multi-media content.
- Primary Source Collections by Adam Matthew This link opens in a new windowAdam Matthew publishes unique primary source collections from archives around the world. SNHU Shapiro Library subscribes to the following collections: African American Communities, American History 1493-1945, the Confidential Print: North America collection in Archives Direct, Defining Gender, Empire Online, Everyday Life and Women in America 1800-1920, Race Relations in America, and Socialism On Film. For more information on how to use these database, please see these tutorial videos.
