Presentation on how to find and use primary sources for academic research in history.

1. LIVING HISTORY
FINDING PRIMARY SOURCES
Presented by Gricel Dominguez, January 2013

2. PRIMARY VS. SECONDARY SOURCES
Primary Sources Secondary Sources
• Any source produced • Sources of information
when an event actually on and/or about the
occurred… subject of your study.
• Or by the subject of • Textbooks, articles, new
your study. s and magazine
• For example, the writings stories, etc.
of Thomas Jefferson. • For example, a chapter in
a textbook on the writings
of Thomas Jefferson.

3. WHY USE PRIMARY SOURCES
• Primary sources help you support your
arguments, ideas, and conclusions when
exploring and researching historical
events, eras, figures, and more.

4. TYPES OF PRIMARY SOURCES
• Correspondence
• Newspaper clippings from the time
• Scrapbooks
• Diaries and Journals
• Legal and judicial documents
• Photographs and other
creative works
• Clothes and other fashions
• Objects and other implements
• And much more!

5. WHERE TO FIND PRIMARY SOURCES
• You can find primary sources at the University
Library and on the web.
• Primary sources include scans of original documents
that are available in databases or public, online
collections…
• As well as objects and
documents in a
museum, archive,
or major library.

6. PRIMARY SOURCES AT THE LIBRARY
What kind of primary Online Databases
sources are available at Available in the E-Research,
the University Library? A-Z listing
• ATLA E-Books (1300s-1893)
• ATLA E-Books (1894-1923)
• Primary Source
• Latin America & Caribbean
Databases
Portal
• Documents in the • New York Times (1851-2008)
library archives • Slavery Anti-slavery
• See a librarian to view Transnational Archive
these. • USA Today (7/1/87-Current)

7. PRIMARY SOURCES ONLINE
• Government Printing Office, FDSys:
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/search/home.action
• Library of Congress, American Memory Project:
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/index.html
• National Archives: http://www.archives.gov
• The Flickr Commons:
http://www.flickr.com/commons/
• The National Archives Digital Vaults experience:
http://www.digitalvaults.org
• The Library of Congress Digital Collections:
http://www.loc.gov/library/libarch-digital.html

8. PRIMARY SOURCES IN YOUR
COMMUNITY
• HistoryMiami (next to the Main Library, Downtown Miami)
• Miami-Dade Public Library System: Main Library
• The Cuban Heritage Collection at UM:
http://merrick.library.miami.edu/digitalprojects/chc.php
• The African American Research Library and Cultural
Center (Ft. Lauderdale):
http://www.broward.org/Library/LocationsHours/Branches/Pa
ges/AA.aspx
• And many more!

9. NOT SURE WHERE TO START?
• Visit the library for help finding the best source for
primary documents.
• Or contact us via phone or email:
• Reference: 305-628-6668
• library@stu.edu
• Gricel Dominguez: gdominguez@stu.edu
• Isabel Ezquerra: iezquerra@stu.edu
• Jonathan Roach: jroach@stu.edu
• Larry Treadwell: ltreadwell@stu.edu

10. MORE ON PRIMARY SOURCES
Stay tuned for events on
primary sources during Bobcat
Read Week in April!
The Bobcat Read Book for
Spring is…
Radioactive: A Tale of Love
and Fallout by Lauren
Redniss, a graphic novel
that uses primary sources by
Marie and Pierre Curie to
Checkout a copy at the
create a visual narrative. Circulation Desk.

11. IMAGE CREDITS
All images are available on the Flickr Commons
• http://www.flickr.com/photos/library_of_congress/3314493806/
• http://www.flickr.com/photos/nlscotland/4699014159/
• http://www.flickr.com/photos/lselibrary/6924988264/
• http://www.flickr.com/photos/statelibraryofnsw/3467097987/
• http://www.flickr.com/photos/library_of_congress/3797853531/
• http://www.flickr.com/photos/library_of_congress/8385170514/
• http://www.flickr.com/photos/floridamemory/7157932542/