Primary sources may be in their original format or may have been reproduced, for example as a book, microfilm collection, video, or on the Internet. All of these formats except Internet sources can be found by searching library catalogs (see search strategies below).
Before you start searching it may be useful to find some background information on your topic.
Type of Primary Source | Search Strategy | |
![]() 1848 pamphlet [click image to enlarge] |
Books from the time period you're writing about |
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![]() [click image to enlarge] |
Published memoirs, letters, interviews, autobiographies, diaries – and manuscript collections |
|
![]() Cover of Ms Magazine, July 1972 [click image to enlarge] |
Magazine, journal, or newspaper article from the time period you're writing about |
|
![]() House Report on Women's Bureau [click image to enlarge] |
Records of government agencies |
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Thank you, UC Berkeley! We would like to thank the UC Berkeley libraries for allowing us to use and adapt their excellent guide, Library Research: Finding Primary Sources, on which this page is based.
Using Primary Sources on the Web (Reference & User Services Association, American Library Association) - advice on finding and evaluating primary sources on the Internet.
Five College Primary Source Research Guide - information about searching and visiting archival collections.
OAIster - search for digitized collections on the Internet.
Journal Locator - search by journal, magazine, or newspaper title to find articles at Smith.
Find Images - Smith College Libraries' resources for finding images.