| Primary sources are often called the
"raw
material" for
historians. These sources include the words of witnesses of
events or, as Jacques Barzun has called them, the first recorders
of events.1
Examples of primary sources include contemporary accounts in
newspapers, magazines and other publications from the period in
question; letters, diaries, memoirs, photographs; government
documents, and other materials. 2
If you need to use primary as well as secondary sources in your
research, here are some steps you may take to make the process
easier:
1. Defining and Finding Primary Sources:
Remember Barzun's words, mentioned above, that primary
sources are generally produced by "the first recorders of
events." Keeping this in mind, consider the
following:
(a) What events or topics interest
you?
If you don't already have a general topic in mind, choose
basic starting points to begin your research. Consult encyclopedias,
historic dictionaries, or other background
materials to get a clearer idea of the kind of
topic you want to research. (If your class is participating in
the Commons, examples of good starting points are
often found on your class Resources page.) Then, use
basic finding tools, such as library
catalogs & indexes, to identify possible
primary sources on your topic. Use keyword
searches to begin, adding words that describe
different types of primary sources, such as:
correspondence
diaries
personal narratives
interviews
travel and description
sources
You could also browse or search through specific newspaper
indexes by year, and find a topic that interests
you. Indexes to the London Times or the New York
Times date back to 1790 and 1851, respectively; the
Microforms Center will have copies of the newspapers themselves on
microfilm. So, depending on your interests, there are a
number of paths you could take to find primary sources.
(b) Who are the "first
recorders"?
It may also help to consider who might be among the
"first recorders" for your topic. If you have a
person or organization in mind, do an author
search in library catalogs or subject-relevant
indexes. Consider too that many early primary sources
and historical accounts that have been published and preserved
may have been produced by observers or participants who were
outsiders, or foreigners to the cultures and events they
described. Does this have an impact on what was
recorded?
(c) What records may be left behind?
It also helps to think about what kind of records might be
left behind. Generally, these can include written materials
such as: diaries, letters, field notes, manuscripts,
organization or corporate records, personal or travel
narratives, newspaper articles, or other materials written or
produced at the time of the
event(s) being discussed or depicted. Primary
sources can also include photographs, historic film, political
posters or pamphlets, and physical objects or artifacts of all
types. Written records are most likely to be available in
library collections, either in manuscript form (in archives)
or in published format, such as the collected and published
letters of a colonial traveler. These can be published as
books or reproduced on microfilm. Physical objects may occasionally
be available on the Web as digitized images at specific
libraries or archives, or reproduced in books and other
publications.
(d) Library research vs. Web
research:
It's a fact that many archives are putting some of their
collections online, in the form of full-text and digitized
images. But unless you already know where and what these
collections are, and what individual archives have put online,
you could spend hours searching the web using familiar search
engines, and still not find any relevant primary sources (or
secondary sources, for that matter).
In that same amount of time, you could easily search any
number of specific library resources such as catalogs,
indexes, databases, and authoritative subject-focused web
pages and identify all the materials you need. (A good
selection is listed and linked on the your class
"Resources" page, if your class is participating in
the Commons.) You would even have time left over to
request items via
Interlibrary
Loan, have time to pick up materials in the Library, and
even do some serious microfilm reading in the Microforms
Center. Something to think about!
2. Understand the research
process, and the time it takes to do your work:
Start early! Depending on your topic or what
you would like to research, the best collections of primary
sources for your topic may very well be at other
libraries. While
Interlibrary
Loan makes it simple to borrow items from other libraries,
you need to factor in the time it may take for your item to
arrive, and the time you need to complete your assignment.
Time, topic & format:
Searching catalogs such as WorldCat,
the Center for
Research Libraries (CRL) databases, bibliographies, and
other resources will certainly give you a good idea of the kinds
of primary sources that exist on your topic. The next step will
be to search the ISU
Library Catalog to check whether that item is available
here. If not,
Interlibrary
Loan will be your next step. If you search the CRL
databases, these items can also be requested via Interlibrary
Loan, but remember too that the majority of these items will be
on microfilm. That means that besides using Interlibrary Loan,
you will need to come to the Microforms
Center in the Library to use a microfilm reader. Many
historians do their research in this way, but the key for
success is to understand this when you begin so you can plan
ahead and use your time well. If you can't start your project
early, for whatever reason, realize that your choice of
materials and topics may be limited.
3. Finding a Secondary Source:
The hard part is over! Once you've identified your
primary sources, you might wish to find some secondary sources,
meaning, those that describe, analyze, interpret, or review your
primary source. Often, secondary sources are written years after
the fact, and can thus take into consideration
other events or otherwise place a primary source in historical
context. Generally, secondary sources include the following:
You can easily locate secondary sources in library catalogs
and scholarly indexes, such as America:
History & Life or Historical
Abstracts. Again, use keyword
searches to begin, and use words that describe
elements of your specific topic. You can use the your class
Resources page in the Commons, or consult with a
reference librarian to identify and search relevant catalogs and
indexes.
4. Questions or complications?
If you have any questions about finding and using primary
sources for your assignments, you should consult with your
professor. If you have difficulties finding materials on
your topic or using any of the resources mentioned here, please
ask a librarian at the Reference Desk for assistance.
1. Jacques Barzun and
Henry F. Graff, The Modern Researcher, 4th ed. (New York:
Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1985), 124.
2. Description from Dr. Modupe Labode, as used in her History
311 class in the Undergrad Commons, Spring 2000.
SVG for Commons,
2000-
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