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Introduction to Primary Sources in the Humanities

Introduction to Finding Primary Sources

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There are many ways to find primary sources, both in person and online. When you want to find primary sources, it is helpful to learn more about the period you are researching by using secondary sources. Secondary sources are texts that were written by authors who have analyzed and used primary sources for their research.Finding secondary sources will allow you to better contextualize and understand the time period you are researching. It will also allow you to have access to the citations and footnotes the author used to support their arguments.

After learning about the time period you are researching, and seeing what other researchers have found, you can find primary sources through various avenues. One way is through the many databases available through UNCG University Libraries. Databases available through academic libraries, like UNCG University Libraries, are online searchable collections of information, often based on a specific subject or topic. Some general purpose databases available are AMExplorer, Gale, and JSTOR. 

University Libraries also has a Primary Source Guide dedicated to helping you find primary sources, including links to databases and information on how to search through the library’s catalog. Liaison librarians can also help you find information. The library assigns subject specialists to each academic discipline who work closely with faculty and staff in areas such as research and scholarly communication. 

Digital libraries can also provide access to primary sources. Websites like Internet Archive and HathiTrust offer millions of digitized pages of text from a variety of sources.

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