Introduction
This guide is a starting point for finding resources related to primary sources. Examples of primary sources include government documents, personal letters, speeches, manuscripts, newspapers, and physical artifacts.
Some of the library's resource swill help you identify and locate primary sources for research.You may also find collected primary sources in the library's books and databases.
Image Source: DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE - The signing of the Declaration of Independence in Congress at the Independence Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 4 July 1776. Lithograph by Nathaniel Currier after the painting by John Trumbull.. Fine Art. Britannica ImageQuest, Encyclopædia Britannica, 25 May 2016. quest-eb-com.eu1.proxy.openathens.net/images/140_1634670.
Primary Sources in the Library Catalog
To find books at COD about using primary sources in history research, you can search here: Primary Sources in History
You can also search the Library Catalog for the specific subject area you are researching: place, community, or person for example. You can use the bibliographies in those books to find more primary resources. Some of those entries can lead you to collected primary sources and open archives.
Some resources collect primary source material such as speeches, letters, and government documents. Other resources can help you find collected papers or open archives. Additional background information can help you formulate better searches in newspaper and article databases.
Once you have narrowed your topic, you can use the Library Catalog Advanced Search feature refine your search to locate primary sources. You can add terms such as correspondence, diaries, interviews, sources, and speeches to focus your results.
Also look for e-books and streaming media.
Search the Library Catalog
Use our catalog to find books, videos, and other resources in our collections.
Reference Sources
Print Reference Materials
Reference materials in the Library include encyclopedias and guides to historical research. These books provide historical context as well as guides to finding collections of primary source documents.
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Dictionary of American History
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Call Number: Reference E174 .D52 2003ISBN: 0684805332For the first time, illustrations and maps are incorporated into the main body of the work; a collection of primary source documents appears in Volume 9. -
A Pocket Guide to Writing in History
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Call Number: Reference D13 .R295 2015ISBN: 1457690888A Pocket Guide to Writing in History is the concise, trusted, and easy-to-use guide for the writing and research skills needed in undergraduate history courses. Now thoroughly updated to reflect the 2017 Chicago guidelines, the ninth edition ensures that students have the most up-to-date advice and ample instruction for conducting responsible research. -
Term Paper Resource Guide to Latino History
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Call Number: Reference E184.S75 M668 2010ISBN: 9780313379321This resource guide to 100 key events in Latino history provides students, librarians, and scholars with hundreds of original and compelling term paper ideas and the key print and electronic sources needed for research. Latinos are the largest, fastest growing minority group in the United States, and the ways they have positively impacted our nation are significant and undeniable. This book examines the contributions of Latinos to U.S. history, providing hundreds of possible topics for term papers and research projects along with primary, secondary, web, and multimedia sources of topical information. Subjects such as the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848); the Bracero Program (1942); the United Farm Workers of America Is Formed (1962); and The Great American Boycott ("A Day Without Immigrants") of 2006 are just a few samples of the topics included. Each historical event is described briefly, followed by direction toward specific research and writing topics for the student-historian. At least two alternative term paper suggestions complement these ideas, allowing creative, original approaches to historical inquires. Presents 100 historical events organized in chronological order, beginning with the founding of the California Missions in 1769 and culminating with Justice Sonia Sotomayor's confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court Each of the 100 events offers annotated resources, including primary, secondary, web, and multimedia sources Contains a comprehensive index highlighting connections between key historical events and public figures -
Voters' Rights
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Call Number: Reference JK1846 .I875 2019ISBN: 1642650684This new series from Grey House offers in-depth, single volumes that follow the debate, or path, to a decision on a controversial topic as it evolved throughout history. Each volume offers a wide range of opinion essays and editorials, speeches, and journal articles and expert analysis.
Electronic Reference
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ProQuest Ebook Central
Ebook Central is a large and growing collection of books on a variety of topics. All books in this collection are also accessible through the COD Library catalog. Use your Ebook Central account to check out and download books, use the reading tools, and create reading lists.
Sign in with your COD email to access this resource. -
Gale eBooks
Gale eBooks is a collection of online reference books on a variety of topics including business, history, literature, health & medicine, social science, technology, and more. The inclusion of key word definitions within its concise encyclopedia entries makes this database the perfect starting point for professional and personal research.
