Primary Sources
Begin with our newest database - NewsBank!
Directions: Browsing NewsBank Directions: Searching NewsBank
One Place to Go = Google!
Trick # 1 - Use good search terms!
Suggested Search Terms For Primary Sources
Artwork
Audio Recording
Clothing, costumes
First-hand
Government Documents
Letters
Interview
Journal or diary
Obituary
Photograph
Song or Lyrics or Concert
Speech
Television Broadcast, TV show
Video Recording
Combine with keywords related to your topic.
Name of a person directly involved (ex. John Lennon)
Name of a movement (ex. Civil Rights, Women's Movement)
Name of a group or organization (ex. NY Yankees)
Name of a place (ex. Little Rock, Arkansas)
Name of an event (ex. Korean War)
Trick # 2 - Use a Video Database!
YouTube
It's YouTube!
Classroom Video on Demand
YOUTUBE CITATION FORMAT:
Creator Last Name, First name. "Title of video." Youtube, uploaded by __________, date published, URL.
*Note: The creator may be a person (last name, first name), or an organization such as The New York Times or CNN. If the person/organization who created the video is the same as the one who published it, then skip the creator and begin the citation with the video title.
Trick # 3 - Stick to the databases to find primary sources
Once you search for your topic in ABC-CLIO...
Click on FILTERS. Then select the types of sources you want under Media and/or Documents. You may want to check the following:
Photos & Illustrations
Videos
Visuals
Speeches
Political, Government and Court Documents
Cultural Documents
Letters & Narratives
Facts on File American History Online makes it super easy...
After searching for your topic, just click on Primary Sources!
Remember:
When using a website, you typically have to create your own citation.
You can do this by using a citation generator (such as EasyBib). However, you MUST ensure that the fields are filled in correctly--refer to the OWL at Purdue MLA Citation Guide to double check generated citations.
CITATION FORMAT:
Author Last Name, First Name. "Article Title." Source Title. Day Month Year Published, URL. Accessed Day Month Year.