Introduction
A primary source is usually a record made at the time of an event by participants or by firsthand observers. Examples include contemporary newspaper or magazine accounts, government reports, and books that contain personal writings such as diaries. Because historians use primary sources in the books and articles that they publish, a great way to find primary source material is to check the bibliographies, footnotes, endnotes, etc., of the secondary sources you find.
Books and More
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- Discover Local (Library Catalog)Many books and other materials may be primary sources. Try using these keywords with your topic to search for them: correspondence, diaries, interviews, papers, personal narratives.
- List of Databases With Full Text of BooksMany books, particularly those published before 1900 are available online. This is a link to a list of databases with the full text of books.
WORLDCAT
Ancient and Medieval Sources
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acta santorum, archive of celtic, aristoteles Lat.., Library of Latin texts, Loeb, monumenta, patrologia, thesaurus linguae, translated texts, Internet Ancient History Sourcebook, int med sourcebook
Digital Collections Search Tip!
Many libraries, archives, and museums digitize their materials. A good way to locate them is a Google search with the phrase "digital collections" (including the quotation marks) and keywords that describe your topic.
For example, "digital collections" Holocaust
Newspapers and Magazines
For a complete list of Newspaper and Magazines see this page.
- American Periodicals Series (1740-1940s; Proquest)Magazines and journals that began publishing between 1740 and 1940.
Int nws links, newspaper source plus nexis
am hist newspapers
historically black papers
historical newspapers
times digital archive
hist jewish press
jewish exponent
opinion archives
Other Sources
- Testaments to the HolocaustA Metropolitan Library (OKC public) database. Sign up for a library card if you don't have one. Contains thousands of eyewitness accounts, photographs, propaganda materials, Wiener Library publications, and biographical details of major figures in the Nazi Party.
Additional Information
- In depth guide to finding primary sources at OU.
- In depth guide to finding secondary sources at OU.
- Guide for Religious Studies