Home (McEntegart Library): Primary Sources

Historical newspapers and magazine articles can be excellent resources for primary source materials.

Developing your Search Keywords

1. Before you start your search, read an entry or two on your topic from a reference database such as Credo and Oxford.  
2. Make a list of the terms, places, people, specific events, and time range about which you want to find primary resources.
3. Remember to keep in mind the language used during the time period you are researching, as those words will allow you to find materials that you might not otherwise locate using modern terms. For example, the term "Great War" was used for World War I.

Searching for Primary Sources in Discovery

In search box, add words onto the end of your keyword(s) that signify primary sources such as:

• Sources
• Correspondence
• Diaries

For example, to search library catalogs or other electronic search tools for published collections of primary sources on the Holocaust or related topics, use the following Library of Congress subject headings to retrieve the most relevant citations:

• Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945) -- Sources
• World War, 1939-1945 -- Concentration camps -- Sources
• Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945) -- Poland -- Sources