LibGuides: HIST 430 Middle East & the U.S.: Primary Resources

Tips for Searching for Primary Resources

Start early & give yourself lots of time!
- Primary resource searching is some of the most difficult and time consuming searching. Don't be discouraged it it takes a while.
Use Google searching to your advantage.
- Try searching for your broad topic and "digital collection," "special collection," or "archive." Essentially, you're using Google to find where the pools of primary resources are so that you can then search within those for your more specific topic. For example, you can search for "Middle East Digital Collection" or "Syria Archive" etc.
Learn to figure out systems
- Every primary resource database, digital collection, special collection, etc. has a slightly different interface, but they all work similarly. There are generally browse features and search features, and the search features often have filtering options. Date range filters can be especially useful.
Mine secondary resource reference lists, bibliographies, etc. for any direction in finding collections or bibliographies of primary resources.
Learn how to search library catalogs for primary resources.

Searching for Print Primary Resources in Library Catalogs

Most library catalogs (including CONSORT, OhioLink, WorldCat, and HathiTrust) use the same controlled vocabulary to apply subjects to items in the catalogs: Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH). This means that once you find subject headings that work well for your topic, you can apply them across all these systems. LCSH are not intuitive like natural language keyword searching that we do via Google. For example, the subject heading for World War I is "World War, 1939-1945." Most catalogs will allow you to do an advanced keyword search within the subject heading field. "Primary resource" is not an LCSH heading or subdivision, so searching with that phrase won't help. But there are several subdivisions that contain primary resources that you can search for and you can use them in combination with your topic keywords in the subject headings advanced search. The table below outlines LCSH subdivisions that are helpful for searching for primary resources with examples.

**Useful Subheadings to Identify Primary Source Material**
Subdivision	What Does It Identify?	Used Under What Kind of Heading?	Example(s)
Archival Resources	Brief descriptions of types of documents/historical records, about a particular place or topic, available at an institution or institutions	Countries, etc. Topics	Canada--History--Archival resources
Archives	Collections of documents or historical records including notes, correspondence, minutes, photographs, legal papers	Names of people Corporate bodies Educational institutions Types of corporate bodies/educational institutions Classes of persons Ethnic Groups	Fermi, Enrico, 1901-1954--Archives
Autographs	Collections or discussions of the person's autograph or handwriting	Names of people Classes of persons	Composers--Autographs
Biography
Caricatures and cartoons	Collections or discussions of caricatures or pictorial humor	Names of people Corporate bodies Classes of persons Ethnic groups Names of wars Topical headings	New York (State)--Politics and government--Caricatures and cartoons
Catalogs	Works listing objects located in organizations, institutions or particular places	Names of artists Corporate bodies Types of organizations	Fitzwilliam Museum--Catalogs
Comic books, strips, etc.		Names of people Topical headings	Spiegelman, Art--Comic books, strips, etc.
Correspondence	Letters from and/or to the person or people; can be subdivided by -Catalogs	Names of people Classes of persons Ethnic groups	Nuns--Ireland--Correspondence
Description - [dates]	Add -Views for pictorial works	Cities
Description and travel- [date]		Places	Quebec (Province)--Description and travel
Diaries	Collections or discussions of the person's diaries and for individual diaries	Names of persons Classes of people	Working class women--Massachusetts--Boston--Diaries
Early Works to 1800
Facsimiles		Types of printed materials Specific documents	Manuscripts, Belarusian (Old)--Facsimiles
History--Sources	Collections or discussion of contemporary writings such as legal documents, letters, diaries, family papers, etc. assembled at a later time to serve as source material for research	Countries Names of people Classes of persons Ethnic groups Topical headings not inherently historical	Civil rights--United States--History--Sources
Interviews	Works consisting of transcripts of what was said during the course of the interview or conversations with a person on one or more occasions	Names of people Classes of people	Authors, Spanish--20th century--Interviews
Library Resources	Works describing the resources and special collections available	Countries Names of people Corporate bodies Classes of persons Ethnic groups Topical headings	Health education--Library resources
Manuscripts	Manuscripts - Catalogs Manuscripts - Facsimiles Manuscripts - Indexes Manuscripts - Microform catalogs	Literary authors Literary works that enter under title Sacred works Groups of authors Names of literatures Topical headings	Music--Manuscripts--Netherlands--Utrecht
Maps	Individual maps or collections of maps	Countries, etc. Corporate bodies Topical headings	Japan--Civilization--Maps
Notebooks, sketchbooks	Collections or discussions of the person's notebooks or sketchbooks	Names of people	Tsang, Fu Ji, 1958--Notebooks, sketchbooks, etc.
Personal narratives	Personal reminiscences or accounts by participants	Names of events Names of wars	Bataan, Battle of, Philippines, 1942--Personal narratives
Pamphlets
Pictorial Works		Names of people Named entities Classes of persons Ethnic groups Individual wars Topical headings	Dachshunds--Pictorial works
Portraits	Collections or discussion of portraits of persons living after 1400; use --Art for those living before 1400	Names of people	Rabbis--Portraits
Posters	Collections or discussion of posters depicting the person, group, etc.	Names of people Corporate bodies Classes of persons Ethnic groups Individual wars Topical headings	Local transit--United States--Posters
Self Portraits	Reproductions or discussion of self-portraits by the person	Names of people	Goya, Francisco, 1746-1828--Self-portraits
Speeches
Statues	Works discussing or containing reproductions of statues of the person	Names of people	Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865--Statues
adapted from MIT Libraries History: Finding Primary Sources: Library of Congress Subject Headings, CC BY-NC

Guide to Primary Sources

"Students and researchers now have greater access to primary source materials for historical research than ever before. The traditional use of sources available in print and microfilm continues to be the foundation for research, but in some cases documents, letters, maps, photographs of ancient artifacts and other primary material are available online in different formats from free websites or subscription services on the internet. Users of primary sources have always needed to examine their sources critically, but now with the proliferation of electronic resources from a wide variety of web site producers, evaluation is more important than ever before. Users of web resources must now consider the authenticity of documents, what person or organization is the internet provider, and whether the electronic version serves their needs. This brief guide is designed to provide students and researchers with information to help them evaluate the internet sources and the quality of primary materials that can be found online."

HIST 430 Middle East & the U.S.

Tips for Searching for Primary Resources

Searching for Print Primary Resources in Library Catalogs

Useful Subheadings to Identify Primary Source Material

Guide to Primary Sources