Finding Primary Sources in Library Databases

Selected Search Terms for Primary Sources:

SOURCE*, CORRESPONDENCE, PERSONAL NARRATIVE*, DIAR*, SERMON*, SPEECH*, LAW AND LEGISLATION, DOCUMENT*, DESCRIPTION AND TRAVEL, CHRONICLE*, MEMOIR*

Search Tips

Use the asterisk (wildcard) to search for variations in word endings, including plural forms

Examples: Zambia* AND source*

Africa* AND document*

Use the question mark (wildcard) to search for variations within words

Example: wom?n AND “personal narrative*”

Use quotation marks to search for a phrase rather than for individual words

Examples: “Northern Rhodesia*”AND source*

“West Africa*” AND “travel and description”

Selected Databases

JSTOR

Includes secondary sources and collections of images and primary sources from libraries, museums, and archives around the world. Select Documents under Primary Sources to limit your results to primary sources.

The following databases contain primary sources and are available in Archives Unbound or as individual titles

in Databases (A Z list) on the library website.

African Studies

British and European History

Business and Economic History

Cultural Studies

Decolonization: The Politics and Independence in Former Colonial and Commonwealth Territories

European Colonialism in the Early 20^th Century: French Colonialism in Africa: From Algeria

To Madagascar, 1910-1930

European Colonialism in the Early 20^th Century: German Colonies to League of Nations Mandates in

Africa 1910-1929

European Colonialism in the Early 20^th Century: Italian Colonies in North Africa and Aggression in

East Africa, 1930-1939

European Colonialism in the Early 20^th Century: Political and Economic Consolidation of Portuguese

Colonies in Africa, 1910-1929

Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies

Health and Environmental Studies

Latin American and Caribbean Studies

Archives of Latin American and Caribbean History, 16^th-20^th Century

European Views of the Americas: 1493-1750

Times (London) Digital Archive, 1785—

Major British newspaper covering world news.

The following databases contain selected primary sources or cite primary sources. Use the suggested search terms for primary sources in combination with search terms for your topic.

Example: Zambia and copper and document*

Academic Search Complete (from library bibliography for Assignment 2)

Historical Abstracts

Finding Primary Sources Using Websites (Dr. Unangst’s Assignment 3 includes a list of websites that contain primary sources.)