Library Guides: History Library Guide: Finding Primary Sources

Intro

When looking for primary historical sources, you'll want to apply a variety of search strategies. This section provides an overview of primary source types, plus tips and tricks on where to look.

Go to the Primary Source Databases section for an overview of major digital resources available through Tulane University Libraries and beyond.

Types of Primary Sources

Primary sources are the raw materials of history, the documents and accounts "contemporary with the event or thought to which it refers."¹ The following list, though certainly not exhaustive, may give you some ideas for primary sources useful in your own research.

Autobiographies and memoirs	Legislative debates, bills, and laws
Personal correspondence	Court proceedings
Diaries and journals	Political speeches and decrees
Financial statements and inventories	Census data and other official statistics
Wills	Newspapers and magazines
Photographs	Church records
Maps	Interviews
Artistic expressions (literature, music, etc.)	Physical evidence (coins, architecture, etc.)

1. John Tosh, The Pursuit of History, 3rd ed. (New York : Longman, 2000), 38.

Using Footnotes and Bibliographies

One of the best ways to track down primary sources is to consult the notes and bibliographies of secondary sources on your research topic. As you're reading, check the footnotes/endnotes to see which primary sources the historian is drawing on to make their claims. In some cases, the materials may be from archives that haven't been digitized. But in others, the materials may be freely available online or through Tulane University Libraries' (TUL) databases, books, and collections.

If you aren't sure how to trace primary source citations from secondary sources, contact TUL's History Librarian for help!

Using Oxford Research Encyclopedias

TUL subscribes to all of the Oxford Research Encyclopedias (ORE) for History. One of the great benefits of these ORE's is that every article includes a Primary Sources section that provides an overview of the most important archives, resources, and collections for the topic in question.

Search the ORE that applies to your geographic region of study to see if it has entries that apply to your research topic:

Oxford Research Encyclopedia of African History This link opens in a new window
The Oxford Research Encyclopedia (ORE) of African History offer synopses of key historical topics and themes throughout the African continent. Each encyclopedia article includes overview information, a discussion of the scholarly literature, a list of key primary sources, links to digital resources, and suggestions for further reading.
Oxford Research Encyclopedia of American History This link opens in a new window
The Oxford Research Encyclopedia (ORE) of American History offer synopses of key historical topics and themes in the history of the U.S. and its connections to other nations and regions. Each encyclopedia article includes overview information, a discussion of the scholarly literature, a list of key primary sources, links to digital resources, and suggestions for further reading.
Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Asian History This link opens in a new window
The Oxford Research Encyclopedia (ORE) of Asian History offer synopses of key historical topics and themes throughout the Asian continent, including the Middle East. Each encyclopedia article includes overview information, a discussion of the scholarly literature, a list of key primary sources, links to digital resources, and suggestions for further reading.
Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Latin American History This link opens in a new window
The Oxford Research Encyclopedia (ORE) of Latin American History offer synopses of key historical topics and themes spanning Latin America and the Caribbean. Each encyclopedia article includes overview information, a discussion of the scholarly literature, a list of key primary sources, links to digital resources, and suggestions for further reading.

Using the Library Catalog

Many primary sources have been published in book form. Autobiographies were likely written with the intent of being published, while historical diaries might be published posthumously, often accompanied by an historian's introduction or interpretation. Some books are simply published collections of manuscripts, correspondences, or government documents. In addition, Tulane University Libraries has books in its collections dating from the medieval period to the present, which themselves may be primary sources since they were published during your period of study.

Any of these published materials can be discovered by searching Tulane's Library Catalog.

Tip #1: Search Strategic Subject Headings

When looking for primary sources, do a Library Catalog Advanced Search and combine keywords related to your research area with strategic subject headings like these:

Sources
Diaries
Personal narratives
Correspondence
Interviews
Description and travel

For example...

to search for primary sources about women in Louisiana:

to search for diaries or personal narratives relating to experiences in Egypt:

Tip #2: Use Date Filters

If you're looking for materials published in your time period of study, limit the publication date range to that period.

For example, if you want to see materials relating to Louisiana, published or produced in the 17th century, you can limit the date range to 1600-1700.

You can either use the Advanced Search:

Or left-hand filters:

New Orleans Archives & Research Libraries

New Orleans is a fantastic place to conduct historical research. The following are some of the local archives and libraries that may have the primary sources you need. For a more extensive list, see the Louisiana Information Sources Library Guide.

Amistad Research Center
Housed in Tulane's Tilton Hall, Amistad is the nation's oldest, largest, and most comprehensive independent archive specializing in the history of African Americans and other ethnic minorities.
The Historic New Orleans Collection
The Historic New Orleans Collection is a museum, research center, and publisher dedicated to the study and preservation of the history and culture of New Orleans and the Gulf South region. Plan ahead before the Williams Research Center at 410 Chartres Street in the French Quarter.
The Latin American Library
The Latin American Library, located on the 4th floor of Tulane's Howard-Tilton Memorial Library, is among the world's foremost collections of Latin American archaeology, anthropology, history, literature, literary criticism, cultural studies, linguistics, art, architecture, film, women's studies, economics and many other subject areas.
The National World War II Museum
The continually expanding WWII museum at 945 Magazine Street in the Central Business District is a must for anyone researching all aspects of WWII abroad and on the home front. Be sure to contact an archivist ahead of time to plan your visit.
Newcomb Archives and Vorhoff Collection
The Newcomb Archives, located on the 3rd floor of the Malkin Sacks Commons at Tulane, acquires, preserves, and makes accessible rare, valuable, or unique materials documenting the history of women and gender in the Gulf South.
New Orleans Public Library
The Louisiana Division at the main branch of NOPL includes the City Archives and Special Collections, an essential source for the study of New Orleans, the state of Louisiana, and the Gulf South. The Louisiana Division is located on the third floor of the library at 219 Loyola Ave. in the Central Business District.
Tulane University Special Collections (TUSC)
TUSC encompasses the Hogan Archive of New Orleans Music and New Orleans Jazz, the Louisiana Research Collection, the Rare Books Collection, the Southeastern Architectural Archive, and University Archives. TUSC is located on the 2nd floor of Jones Hall.

Find Archives Outside New Orleans

United States

Archive Grid
A search tool for nearly 2 million archival material descriptions, including finding aids where available, for collections across the United States.

Abroad

Most countries outside the U.S. have a major national library and/or archive in their capital city. Smaller cities tend to have municipal archives and archives of social and religious organizations. Check the lists of archives cited in your secondary sources, or talk to an expert in the field you're researching to pin down which archives and research collections may be worth visiting for your research.