Primary Sources
From Library Wiki
Primary Sources: A Guide for Students
If your research requires the use of primary sources (documents or other artifacts providing first-hand evidence of information on a given subject), the following resources can help you understand what they are and how to find, use and evaluate them. With the advent of the digital age, access to primary sources has greatly increased. We now have the ability to incorporate their use into our research and learning as never before. Bear in mind, however, that just like any piece of information, primary sources (especially those found on the Web) need to be critically evaluated as to their authorship, objectivity, suitability, etc. Primary sources are a broad and sometimes complex topic, and this guide is intended only as a starting point for finding and using them.
Contents |
Library databases
On the library home page, you can begin to find some primary sources by using databases. Click on the link on the left side of the page - Databases: Choose by Subject. In the drop down list, select Primary Resources (Historical).
Selected Internet Links
Statistics (such as U.S. Census data) and speeches are two types of primary sources, and you’ll find links to both types of resources in the Selected Internet Links section of the library home page. Though primary sources can be found in many places, some other useful places to look, depending on your topic, are the Criminal Justice – History and Criminal Justice – Statistics links.
CUNY+ (library catalog)
In addition to searching with the phrase “primary sources” in the All Fields or Subject Begins With… search boxes, think about the type of source and search using those words, e.g. correspondence, letters, diaries, narratives, and speeches. For example, if you are looking for primary sources related to abolitionist Frederick Douglass, try searching in CUNY+ for: speeches and douglass
Selected Online Primary Sources Guides
American Library Association, Reference and User Services Association
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/rusa/sections/history/resources/pubs/usingprimarysources/index.cfm
An easy-to-navigate site that provides links to other primary source guides as well as books on primary sources. Includes information on how to find text and non-text sources such as photographs, using search engines, subject headings and history web sites to find primary sources. Contains excellent evaluation section and information on how to cite primary source web sites. Provides useful examples and links to several primary source collections.
Library of Congress - American Memory
http://memory.loc.gov/learn/start/prim_sources.html
The interface of The Learning Page feature is geared toward teachers, but this site provides a user-friendly resource for the basics of primary sources. The American Memory digital collection contains millions of primary source items.
Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library Research Guide
http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2sql/content_storage_01/0000019b/80/1a/ac/af.pdf
An excellent student guide covering many facets of conducting research in a user-friendly manner. Pages 8-9 specifically cover the use of primary sources in research, and the final page is a “written document analysis worksheet” which guides students through the identification, description, evaluation and analysis of a document.
New York University Libraries
http://library.nyu.edu/research/subjects/primary/
NYU Libraries provides an easy-to-use guide, organized by documents, visual materials, audio materials and artifacts. Within each section there are definitions and links to examples. The site also has information on evaluating and citing sources and a few subject-specific guides (e.g. history, performing arts, Africana studies). While some of the latter link to NYU-specific resources, it is still a useful resource for learning about appropriate types of primary sources.
UC Berkeley Library
http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/instruct/guides/primarysources.html
“Finding Historical Primary Sources” shows UC Berkeley students how to use their own library’s catalogs and databases to find primary sources, but the same search strategies can be used in any library. Includes definition of both primary and secondary sources, ways to think about what type of source is best to use, and useful search examples throughout.
UCLA Institute on Primary Resources
http://ipr.ues.gseis.ucla.edu/info/definition.html
While the project is geared toward K-12 education, the “about primary resources” section is useful for definitions and basic information, and the “additional resources” section provides a few primary source outlets.
Books about primary sources
(note section location of the book, indicated before call number, e.g. stacks or reference)
Finkenbine, R. E. (1997). Sources of the African-American past: Primary sources in American history. New York: Longman. (Reference call # E 184.6 .F56)
Freeman, M. S. (1978). Researching historical problems: An introduction to basic resources. [Hanover, N.H.]: Dartmouth College Library. (Reference call # D16.3 .F7)
Hanes, S. M., & Hermsen, S. (2005). Crime and punishment in America. Primary sources. Crime and punishment in America reference library. Detroit: Thomson Gale.
(Reference call # HV6779 .H35)
Howell, M. C., & Prevenier, W. (2001). From reliable sources: An introduction to historical methods. Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University Press. (Stacks call # D 16 .H713)
Presnell, J. L. (2007). The information-literate historian: A guide to research for history students. New York: Oxford University Press. (Stacks call # D16.2 .P715)
Selected primary source collections
In addition to those specific collections included in the online resources above, here a few more recommended by John Jay faculty:
Crime in New York 1850-1950 Digital Library
http://www.lib.jjay.cuny.edu/crimeinny/
The Black Abolitionist Archive, University of Detroit Mercy
http://www.dalnet.lib.mi.us/gsdl/cgi-bin/library?p=about&c=baa
Internet History Sourcebook Project (various subjects)
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/
Making of America, University of Michigan
http://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/moagrp/
Slavery resources
http://www.vancouver.wsu.edu/fac/peabody/slave.htm
World history resources
http://chnm.gmu.edu/worldhistorysources/
Suggest a source
If you have other primary source collections or resources to recommend, please email Kathleen Collins (kcollins@jjay.cuny.edu)
