Pursuing Primary Sources
Finding Primary Sources
Primary source research often looks different from other forms of research. I suggest organizing your primary source research into three phases. If at any point you have found the sources you need for your research, you do not need to continue on to later phases.
Search Library Databases
Start your research in library databases. Due to the nature of primary source creation, and collection library collections won't have every primary source. The sources they do collect may have added contextualization or may have searchable full-text. You'll want to take advantage of these features when available. The right databases will depend on your topic. Navigate to the A-Z Database list and narrow the list to databases that include Primary Sources using the Database type drown down list.
The databases in this list include primary sources. They may also include other types of sources, so you'll want to pay attention to the details about each result. Before searching, review the title and description of each database. Historical collections usually have a limited focus. Save time by skipping collections that aren't relevant to your research.
Explore Aggregators and Large Collections
Next, you'll venture out to publicly available aggregators and large collections.
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Library of Congress This link opens in a new windowThe Library of Congress' digital collections include a large variety of primary sources related to American History.
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Digital Public Library of America This link opens in a new windowThe Digital Public Library of America is an aggregator. It pulls sources from many libraries around the country into one easy to use search interface.
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The British Museum This link opens in a new windowThe British Museum highlights their physical building but also make a large number of digital facsimiles available online.
Look for Relevant Independent Collections
Finally, identify archives or research groups collecting primary sources relevant to your research. You can find these groups in a few ways
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Archive Grid This link opens in a new windowArchive Grid allows you to identify archives with relevant collections to your research. Archive Grid does not search all archives and many collections may not be available digitally.
Research guides (like this one!) created by librarians are often a great place to look for smaller collections of primary sources. Try searching your favorite search engine for:
- [your topic] and research guide
You can also try some free web searches to discover additional collections. Think about what you know about your topic from background research and who might have collected primary sources. Here are some searches to consider:
- [city, state or location of event] and historical society
- [your topic] collection
- seek our public or academic libraries nearby
- [your topic] primary sources
- [your topic] public records
- [your topic] archives