Working with Primary Sources
Whose Voices?
Similarly to academic articles, there are some very general tools that you can use to search primary sources broadly. However, it is usually more productive to work out in advance....
Who do you want to hear from...
This could be a perspective, a category of people, a specific group/organization, a geographic area or country, etc.
...And where are they?
Next, figure out where your voices "live" in the historical record. For example:
- Perspectives from organizations will likely be found in either organization- or profession-specific newspapers/bulletins, proceedings of meetings/conferences, or collections of a particular organization's papers;
- The perspectives of an individual worker could live in the sources above; in interviews with mainstream news media; or in a personal memoir, among others.
- Politicians' perspectives could show up in places such as public addresses; government documents (like the Congressional Record, on the national level), or in mainstream newspapers.
- Religious perspectives are likely to live either in religious-specific publications, in pamphlets put out by a church or related organizations, or in personal memoirs.
- etc.
This page of the guide is designed to give you some starting points -- but you can also ask Jennifer or Prof. Bush for a recommendation!
Searching
- Keep your searches simple, and be creative with your search terms. How did people in the period you are researching speak and write? What words would they have used to describe events or ideas? Are there specific names or organizations that you can focus in on?
- Work with, not against, your search tools. Databases designed for primary sources often will let you narrow your search by features like publication date, geographic location, or type of source.
- Pay attention to the order of search results. If your search is very broad or you get a lot of results, sorting by relevance can help you find starting places. But when looking at newspapers or other sources that might build on each other and create a story over time, you may want to sort Oldest to Newest instead!
- Don't just search -- browse! Keyword searching for primary sources can be imprecise, especially if you don't know exactly what you're looking for. Give yourself time to click in and out of sources you're unsure of, browse through the pages, and look at the context of sources like newspaper articles (what other stories appeared on the same day? what advertisements?) for maximum information.
- Pace yourself. Primary sources can take longer to find than academic articles. You may also need more time to decipher, digest, and interpret the content of your primary sources. Leave yourself plenty of time to do this work, and ask questions or for assistance earlier rather than later!
Analyzing
- Patrick Rael, Reading, Writing, and Researching for History: A Guide for College Students(Brunswick, ME: Bowdoin College, 2004)
- Primary Source Analysis Worksheets - Digital HistoryUse these worksheets and other tools, originally developed by the National Archives, to help you analyze a range of primary sources including artifacts, cartoons, maps, movies, photos, posters, sound recordings, and written documents.
This page lists suggested places to find primary sources related to the theme of this class -- the Spanish Inquisition. If you are working on a different topic, there are still resources that can help! Check out our full list of primary source databases. You are also more than welcome to contact Jennifer for recommendations appropriate to your research topic.
Collections of Primary Sources
Collections of Primary Sources
Correspondence & Other 'Ephemera':
- British Literary Manuscripts Online (1120-1900) [Boston Public Library database]"Reproductions of manuscripts, letters, and diaries, handwritten drafts of poems, plays, novels, and other literary works, and similar materials. Catalog records can be searched, but the manuscripts themselves are not full-text searchable." To access, sign up for an e-card.
- Defining Gender This link opens in a new window
Primary sources from British Archives relating to the study and experience of gender.
- Making of the Modern World [Boston Public Library subscription]Includes books, serials, pamphlets, essays and more. Tracks the development of the modern, western world through the lens of trade and wealth.To access, sign up for an e-card.
- Medieval Family Life This link opens in a new window
Date(s): 1400-1490
Manuscripts containing family letters, in English and Latin. - Medieval Travel Writing This link opens in a new window
Date(s): 1200s-1500s
Manuscripts containing letters from medieval travelers to the Holy Land, India, and China, in a variety of languages.
Books:
- Defining Gender This link opens in a new window
Primary sources from British Archives relating to the study and experience of gender.
- EEBO: Early English Books Online This link opens in a new window
Date(s): 1473-1700
Historical ebooks published in English in England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and British North America. - HathiTrust Digital Library This link opens in a new window
This link opens in a new window
Scanned books from major research libraries. Best for books published before 1928.
- Making of the Modern World [Boston Public Library subscription]Includes books, serials, pamphlets, essays and more. Tracks the development of the modern, western world through the lens of trade and wealth.To access, sign up for an e-card.
Print Resources in Dinand:
Although we often think of primary sources as being located online, some primary sources can also be found in the library. This includes books published during the relevant time period as well as memoirs, collections of essays, and others.
When searching in the Library Catalog, used Advanced Search to choose a publication date range. When using CrossSearch, you can check the Catalog box on the left navigation bar to only search for items in the library catalog, then use the date slider to look at publication dates in your time period.
Remember to watch your keywords -- a book written in the 16th century will use different vocabulary to talk about various historical events than a source published today. Also, if your research touches upon foreign countries, don't forget to account for the vocabulary used at various times in those countries to describe events, groups, etc.
Images:
- Artstor This link opens in a new window
Now part of JSTOR. Library of images relating to art and architecture, humanities, and social sciences.
If you have an image you have already seen or located (for example, on a website or blog, or in a book), you can use image searching tools to identify the source of that image, or to find other, similar visual sources. The document linked here provides step-by-step instructions for doing this with different tools:
Inquisition Collections:
- Cornell University [Digital] Witchcraft Collection"Cornell’s Witchcraft Collection contains over 3,000 titles documenting the history of the Inquisition and the persecution of witchcraft, primarily in Europe." This subset of the collection contains about 100 digitized books. Some, but not all, are in English.
- Inquisitio (University of Notre Dame)"The materials featured on this website are from the University of Notre Dame's Harley L. McDevitt Inquisition Collection....It consists of several hundred items, from printed volumes to unique manuscripts and images, all bearing some relationship to the general theme of “inquisition”. For the most part these were produced by the Spanish inquisition or its critics, though several pieces also relate to other regions." Note that the majority of materials are not in English.
- Inquisition Records of Jacques Fournier"An on-going English translation of the Inquisition Records of Jacques Fournier, Bishop of Pamiers, France, 1318-1325," hosted by San Jose State University.
- Spanish Legal Documents (15-19th centuries), Library of Congress"The majority of Spanish legal documents in the collection are briefs, i.e., forensic writings related to disputes on inheritance and titles of nobility, taxes, church privilege and the like. Items of special interest include documents pertaining to the Spanish Inquisition; papal bulls and ecclesiastical concordats; as well as laws, statutes, instructions and decrees of Spanish kings and government officials." Documents are primarily in Spanish.
Misc. Web Archives:
- EuropeanaA portal for cultural materials -- images, sounds and videos as well as texts (including digitized books) -- drawn from libraries, archives, museums and more throughout Europe. Everything in Europeana is free to access.
- GallicaThe digital library of the Biblotheque Nationale de France, providing access to 2+ million documents, including many rare items. The collection encompasses a variety of documents, including images, sounds, and maps as well as books and original manuscripts, among others.
In the Archives
In the Archives
Using the Archives & Distinctive Collections:
Depending on your topic, you may want to take advantage of some of the primary source collections available to you in the Holy Cross Archives & Distinctive Collections. Some tips to keep in mind if you are considering archival research:
- Archives & Distinctive Collections are located on the 3rd floor of Dinand Library. They are open during the week (Mon-Fri) by appointment only 9am-12pm, and for general research (no appointment needed) 1-4pm. They are also open 6-9pm Mon & Tues evenings.
- Although appointments are only required in the mornings, it is highly recommended that you reach out to the (very helpful!) staff before your visit for guidance and to let them know what materials you would like to view. You can contact them at archives@holycross.edu.
- Before visiting, make sure you are familiar with the policies and procedures. Note especially that you are not allowed to use pens or highlighters in the reading room, to protect the materials, but lockers are provided to store any such items as well as food, drink etc.
- Archival research does not come with electronic searching, and can be an exciting (but time-consuming) journey! -- make sure you leave yourself plenty of time to browse the collections and to digest what you find. And, be sure to take excellent notes!
Ask an Archivist:
You can use this easy form to ask a question or make an appointment with our Archives & Distinctive Collections staff. Or, email archives@holycross.edu.