HIST 7638 - Research Prospectus: Find Primary Sources (Overview)
This guide contains library and web-based information for graduate students enrolled in HIST 7638: Research Prospectus
A General Strategy for Finding Primary Sources
- Examine the bibliography, notes, and acknowledgments in a recent and reputable secondary work related to your research area. Determine if the author provides information on the location of primary sources.
- Identify key individuals associated with the events you are researching. If the person is a notable figure, deceased, and either British or American, refer to the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography or American National Biography. These sources usually offer comprehensive bibliographies, guiding you to the whereabouts of the individual's papers.
- Conduct a search on Worldcat.org or Worldcat First Search using the person's name as an author. This search will yield both published and unpublished materials related to the individual. Similarly, if you identify an organization relevant to your research, conduct a search using the organization's name as an author.
- Explore ArchiveGrid, similarly to Worldcat.
- Conduct a Google search on your topic, incorporating terms like "papers," "records,""archives," or "digital collections" to discover additional relevant resources. Please note: Exercise caution to ensure that the resources originate from a reputable institution; verify the domain for reliability.
Local Archival Repositories
- Georgia Southern University Special Collections Lane Library’s special collections includes the university archives of the Armstrong Campus and the Florence Powell Minis Room Collection. The university archives documents Armstrong’s history and served as a resource for Janet Stone’s scholarly history, From the Mansion to the University: A History of Armstrong Atlantic State University 1935-2010. Endowed by the Minis family of Savannah, the Minis Room houses books about Savannah and the Coastal region, including works by Savannah authors. The Special Collection are open for research by appointment and we are always happy to introduce students to these collections, which include Alumni donations and feature student work. The online guide to the Special Collections is a good starting point, with links to digitized collections, such as The ‘Geechee yearbook (1937-1995), The Inkwell, Armstrong’s student newspaper and more. Also, contact the special collections librarian to arrange a visit to the Special Collections, for research or a class. See Special Collections at the Lane Library (Armstrong Campus) The Zach S. Henderson Library’s Special Collections was founded in the 1970’s. Housed within the department are rare books, manuscript collections, and artifacts relating to the history of the Statesboro region and Georgia Southern University. Special Collections has materials documenting the Civil War, World War II, southern railroads, early businesses, and local genealogy. Popular collections include: the Okefenokee Swamp Collection, the Bulloch County Historical Society Collection, and the Lucile Hodges Collection. Also available for research are the Marvin S. Pittman Collection and the Charles Holmes Herty Collection, to name only a few. See Special Collections at the Henderson Library (Statesboro Campus)
- Catholic Diocese of Savannah: Archives & Records Department The mission of the Archives & Records Department is to administer the Archives & Records program which manages records created by the Diocese of Savannah; to serve as the institutional repository for records of historical and enduring value; and to promote an understanding of the Catholic Church, her history, and her heritage in South Georgia. The department is erected in accordance with Canon 482.
- City of Savannah: Municipal Archives & Records Management The Municipal Archives & Records Management division: Collects, manages preserves and makes accessible records documenting the City of Savannah's history Administers the records management program and the City Records Center to increase the efficiency of City agencies Shares the City's history with City employees, citizens and visitors through outreach activities
- Georgia Historical Society As a non-university research and educational institution, the Georgia Historical Society has collected, preserved, and shared some of the most important documents, rare books, maps, photographs, and artifacts that tell the story of our state’s journey through time. The cornerstones of the collection are Hodgson Hall, the National Historic Landmark building that serves as the GHS Research Center, and the impressive group of manuscripts, rare books, and archival materials housed in the adjacent Abrahams Archival Annex. The collection includes more than 4 million manuscripts, 100,000 photographs, 30,000 architectural drawings, 15,000 books, and thousands of maps, newspapers, portraits, and artifacts. The papers of many influential Georgians, including Griffin Bell, Vince Dooley, Benjamin Hawkins, Helen Dortch Longstreet, Juliette Gordon Low, and Bernie Marcus, are held in the society’s collections. Perhaps the most significant document in the collection is an original draft copy of the U.S. Constitution that belonged to Abraham Baldwin, a Georgia delegate to the national constitutional convention of 1787.
You can use Archive Grid to locate other archives and special collections across the United States. Search by individual, keyword, location, or specific library. You can also use one of the Worldcat search interfaces below:
- WorldCat (at OCLC FirstSearch) This link opens in a new windowBooks, multimedia held by libraries worldwide (more...).
- WorldCat (at worldcat.org) This link opens in a new windowBooks, multimedia held by libraries worldwide (more...).
Library Databases and Digital Collections
- African American Historical Serials Collection This link opens in a new window Newspapers, magazines, reports, annuals (more...)
- American Antiquarian Society (AAS) Historical Periodicals Collection, Series 1 This link opens in a new window American periodicals published between 1684 and 1820 (more...).
- American Antiquarian Society (AAS) Historical Periodicals Collection, Series 2 This link opens in a new window American periodicals published between 1821 and 1837 (more...).
- American Antiquarian Society (AAS) Historical Periodicals Collection, Series 3 This link opens in a new window American periodicals published between 1838 and 1852 (more...).
- Ancestry Library Edition This link opens in a new window Historical records, photos, stories, newspapers and magazines for genealogy research (more...).
- Civil War Primary Source Documents This link opens in a new window Primary documents, biographies, correspondence (more...)
- Digital Library of Georgia This link opens in a new window Georgia history and culture through digitized books, primary sources, photos, and video (more...).
- European Views of the Americas: 1493 to 1750 This link opens in a new window Index/abstracts only, European and Colonial history, primary sources (more...).
- Georgia Historic Newspapers Archive This link opens in a new window Georgia historical newspapers (more...).
- Women's Studies Manuscript Collections from the Schlesinger Library: Voting Rights, National Politics, and Reproductive Rights This link opens in a new window Women's history, primary sources (more...).
- HathiTrust Digital LibraryA massive digital library bringing together materials digitized by Google, the Internet Archive, libraries at HathiTrust partner institutions, and other commercial digitization schemes.
- InternetArchiveA non-profit digital library offering free universal access to books, movies & music, as well as 446 billion archived web pages.
- Documenting the American South (UNC)Digital publishing initiative that provides Internet access to texts, images, and audio files related to southern history, literature, and culture.
Published v. Unpublished Primary Sources
Unpublished primary sources are original documents and objects created by individuals but not formally published. Unpublished materials are typically found in archives, libraries, and museums.
Published primary Sources include a wide range of publications, including first-person accounts, memoirs, diaries, letters, newspapers, statistical reports, government documents, court records, photographs, and more. Some of these materials were not published at the time of their creation but have subsequently been published in a collected volume (e.g. Citizen and Soldier: A Sourcebook on Military Service and National Defense)
Find published sources by using Library Catalogs, Research Guides, and published bibliographies. To find primary sources in catalogs try using the following strategies:
- Search by publication date to find sources published during the time period
- Use advanced search options to restrict material type
- Include the following subjects in your search: Correspondence, Letters, Sources, Diaries, Personal Narratives, Interviews, or Speeches