Successful Searching
Who(se 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 could live in the sources above; in interviews with news media; correspondence; or in a personal memoir, among others.
- Politicians' perspectives could show up in places such as public addresses; government and diplomatic documents, 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.
Remember: not all perspectives are represented equally in the historical record!
Where Are They?
Now, you need to determine where we have access to that part of the historical record.
Most primary source collections are categorized by some combination of...
- Date
- Geography
- Genre, and/or
- Topic
For example, if you are hoping to find news articles pertaining to the First Opium War, not just any database will do! You need a resource that:
- Provides access to newspapers (ideally, a range of large/establishment and more-local publications);
- Includes resources published in geographic proximity (ideally in China, although the UK is also an option);
- Covers the 19th century and specifically 1839-1842.
This page of the guide is designed to give you some starting points -- but you can also ask Jennifer or Prof. Linzer 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!
Analyze:
- 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.
Collections of Primary Sources
Newspapers & Periodicals
For even more options, visit: https://libguides.holycross.edu/newspapers
- Access World News This link opens in a new window
Local, national, and international news, including the Worcester Telegram & Gazette.
- Asian Newsstream (ProQuest)Access to more than 60 of the most respected national and regional sources of news and current affairs information in Asia and the Far East.
- London Times Digital Archive This link opens in a new window
Date(s):1785-2019
Articles from the London Times, including all pictures and advertisements.
China:
- Beijing ReviewA valuable source for official, English-language perspectives from the Chinese Communist Party. Access:
▪️ 1958-1978 (Peking Review): Dinand Oversize DS701 +P37, online at Massline.org
▪️ 1978-1988 (Beijing Review): Dinand Oversize DS701 +P37, online at Massline.org
▪️ 1988-2016 (Beijing Review): online at Massline.org
▪️ 1988-2020 (Beijing Review, North American ed.): Dinand Oversize DS701 +P37 - China at WarMonthly magazine published by the Chinese News Service, originally to disseminate pro-Chinese information to Americans during the Sino-Japanese War. Access:
▪️ 1938-1945 (China at War): Dinand Stacks DS777.53.A1 C5
▪️ 1946-1949 (China Magazine): Dinand Stacks DS777.53.A1 C5
- Current Digest of the Chinese Press This link opens in a new window
Date(s): 2011-2022
Selections from Chinese news sources, translated into English.
- People's ChinaTwice-monthly English-language magazine published from 1950 to at least 1957; this website provides access to a number of, though not all of, the issues published.
Japan:
- Press Translations, Japan, 1945-1946"This set of English-language translations of Japanese newspapers was produced by the General Headquarters, Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers, Allied Translator and Interpreter Section, during the United States Occupation of post-World War II Japan. It consists of English summaries or full translations of newspaper articles and editorials from November 1945 to June 1946. This searchable database contains incomplete holdings of four series of the translations: Economic, Editorial, Political, and Social."
Korea:
- Korean Newspaper Archives [translated link]Newspaper search from the National Library Korea. Although the website interface is in Korean, some papers are in English; the link above will translate the site navigation into English [untranslated link is here]. To find English papers, use English keywords and follow the instructions in the Navigating Websites in Other Languages tutorial to convert your search results.
Collections of Documents & Ephemera:
- Asia and the West: Diplomacy and Cultural Exchange (NCCO)Part of Nineteenth Century Collections Online. State Department and diplomatic correspondence, reports, etc. between the U.S. and China, Korea, Japan, and other Asian nations from the 19th century.
- Missionary Research Library PamphletsCollection of early 20th century pamphlets collected by the Mission Research Library at Union Theological Seminary (Columbia University), including some on East Asian concerns/topics.
China:
- China, America and the Pacific: Trade & Cultural Exchange This link opens in a new window
Date(s): 1700s-early 1900s
English-language primary sources about relationships between China, the Pacific region and the United States. - China: Culture and Society This link opens in a new window
Date(s): 1750-1929
English-language primary sources about Chinese history, religion, culture, and everyday life. - China: Trade, Politics and Culture This link opens in a new window
Date(s): 1793-1980
English-language primary sources about the relationship between China and the West.
- Primary Sources with DBQs - China (Asia for Educators)Note the citations at the bottom of each translation page which indicate the original source of the translation.
Chinese Civilization: A SourcebookCall Number: DS721 .C517 1993ISBN: 0029087651Publication Date: 1993
Sources of Chinese Tradition (2 vols)Call Number: DS721 .D2 1999ISBN: 0231109385Publication Date: 1999
Hawai'i Reader in Traditional Chinese CultureCall Number: DS721 .H338 2005ISBN: 9780824827854Publication Date: 2005
File Box: Japan and ChinaCall Number: DS801 J3zContents
This box contains the remnants of one of the Libraries' old vertical files. Before the advent of the internet, Libraries used boxes like this one to collect pamphlets and other ephemera on topics of interest. This box will likely eventually be transferred to the Archives & Distinctive Collections. Please handle with care!
Japan:
- Monumenta NipponicaRespected journal of Japanese studies that also publishes translations (with critical introductions). To see issues older than 2005, click See All at the bottom of the list of dates.
- Primary Sources with DBQs - Japan (Asia for Educators)Note the citations at the bottom of each translation page which indicate the original source of the translation.
- Re-Envisioning JapanDigitized collection of films, photographs, postcards, objects and other ephemera from 20th-century Japan.
Sources of Japanese Tradition (2 vols)Call Number: DS821 .S68 2001ISBN: 0231121385Publication Date: 2001
Select Documents on Japanese Foreign Policy, 1853-1868Call Number: DS840 .B3 1955Publication Date: 1955
Japan: a Documentary History (2 vols)Call Number: DS835 .J37 1997bISBN: 1563249073Publication Date: 1996Vol 1 (to late Tokugawa period) also available online.- Meiji Japan Through Contemporary Sources (3 vols)Call Number: DS881.9 .M394Publication Date: 1969-72
- File Box: Japan and ChinaCall Number: DS801 J3zContents
This box contains the remnants of one of the Libraries' old vertical files. Before the advent of the internet, Libraries used boxes like this one to collect pamphlets and other ephemera on topics of interest. This box will likely eventually be transferred to the Archives & Distinctive Collections. Please handle with care!
Korea:
- Primary Sources with DBQs - Korea (Asia for Educators)Note the citations at the bottom of each translation page which indicate the original source of the translation.
Sourcebook of Korean Civilization (2 vols)Call Number: DS904 .S68 1993ISBN: 0231079125Publication Date: 1993
Sources of Korean Tradition (2 vols)Call Number: DS904 .S69 1997ISBN: 0231105665Publication Date: 1996Abridged version of Sourcebook of Korean Civilization- File Box: KoreaContents
This box contains the remnants of one of the Libraries' old vertical files. Before the advent of the internet, Libraries used boxes like this one to collect pamphlets and other ephemera on topics of interest. This box will likely eventually be transferred to the Archives & Distinctive Collections. Please handle with care!
Books & Other Literature:
- China and Far East Through Western EyesDigitized books from the University of Hong Kong Libraries recounting the experiences of missionaries and other Westerners during their visits to East Asia (including China, Japan, and Korea), from the 18th century to the early 20th century.
- HathiTrust Digital Library This link opens in a new window
Scanned books from major research libraries. Best for books published before 1928.
- Travel Writing, Spectacle & World History This link opens in a new window
Date(s):1818-1970s
Primary sources produced by American women traveling throughout the United States and around the world during the 19th and 20th centuries.
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 early 20th 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.
In general, it's useful to keep in mind the language and names of the time period, as well as different transliterations of names from the original Japanese, Korean and/or Chinese characters.
Sections to Visit:
History of China: DS701-DS799.9
History of Japan: DS801-DS897
History of Korea: DS901-DS937
China:
- Chinese Text ProjectDigital library of over 30,000 pre-modern Chinese texts, with English translations.
- 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.
Japan:
- Bibliography of Premodern Japanese Texts and TranslationsBibliography of translations literary prose and poetry, with some other writings of importance, written within before 1600. Each entry lists editions of the original text as well as journal articles or other publications where translations can be found.
- Japanese Historical Text InitiativeSearchable database of critical Japanese texts and English translations.
Government, Political & Military Documents:
- Asia and the West: Diplomacy and Cultural Exchange (NCCO)Part of Nineteenth Century Collections Online. State Department and diplomatic correspondence, reports, etc. between the U.S. and China, Korea, Japan, and other Asian nations from the 19th century.
- Foreign Relations of the United States (FRUS) This link opens in a new window
Date(s): 1860-present
The official record of United States foreign policy, accompanied by reports and other documents relevant to the topic.
- Hoover Institution Library & ArchivesThe Hoover Institution Library & Archives holds more than one million volumes and over six thousand archival collections documenting war, revolution, and peace in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.
- Wilson Center Digital ArchiveThe Wilson Center provides access to digitized, declassified documents from around the world.
China:
- CIA China Collection: National Intelligence Estimates on ChinaDeclassified CIA documents pertaining to China spanning from the 1940s to the late 1970s.
- The Maoist Legacy DatabaseRequires (free) account. Compilation of state and CCP documents, oral histories, and other materials relevant to understanding the impact of Maoism. Selected documents are translated into English in the Translations section of the site.
Japan:
- Joseph Berry Keenan Digital CollectionThe Joseph Berry Keenan Digital Collection at Harvard University contains manuscript materials and photographs relating to the Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal (1946-1948). Keenan was Chief Prosecutor for the Tribunal.
Korea:
- CIA Korean War Overview"This collection includes more than 1,300 documents consisting of national estimates, intelligence memo, daily updates, and summaries of foreign media concerning developments on the Korean Peninsula during 1947 - 1954."
- Korean Independence Outbreak Movement collection"The Records of the [1919] Korean Independence Outbreak, currently forming part of the archives in The Burke Library [at Columbia University], were sent from Shanghai to Charles Fahs, the librarian of the former Mission Research Library in New York, by Korean Independence leaders in exile during 1919. The typescript reports here describe events in March/April 1919 and are accompanied by a pamphlet with rare and sometimes disturbing black and white photographs illustrating the events.
- Korean War Propaganda LeafletsDigital collection of propaganda pamphlets and leaflets distributed in North Korea during the Korean war, both by the U.S. Army and communist forces in Korea. Held by the North Dakota State University Archives.
Photographs, Art & Material Culture:
- AP Newsroom [Boston Public Library subscription]"Searchable Associated Press content, including 4.6 million photographs (1826-present) as well as graphics, audio (1920-present), and articles (1997-present)." To access, sign up for an e-card.
- Artstor This link opens in a new window
Now part of JSTOR. Library of images relating to art and architecture, humanities, and social sciences.
- East Asia Image Collection (EAIC)"An open-access archive of digitized photographs, negatives, postcards, rare books and slides" which documents Japan, Taiwan, China, Korea, Manchuria, and Indonesia between 1868-1952.
- East Asian Collection (U Wisconsin Libraries)"The East Asian Collection includes historical images that present a visual archive of 20th century East Asian cultural heritage. Currently, the collection consists of images that document early 20th century China including the the Sino-Japanese Conflict (1937-1945), a visual history of Buddhist practices and temples in China, and other images of daily life in both rural and urban China."
China:
- ChinesePosters.netDigital gallery of over 4,950 Chinese propaganda posters, from 1925-present. Browse by theme, artist, and chronology.
- The Mao Era in ObjectsDigital exhibit of 24 everyday objects representing the Mao Era in China.
Japan:
- Re-Envisioning JapanDigitized collection of films, photographs, postcards, objects and other ephemera from 20th-century Japan.
- Unpinning History: Japanese Posters in the Age of Commercialism, Imperialism, and ModernismDigitized collection of 1910s and 1920s Japanese posters held by the USC Libraries.
Korea;
Other Web Resources:
You may wish to use a Google site search to browse websites on the domains for East Asian countries (see specific examples below). Note, though, that many of these websites will not be available in English.
[ Video tutorial: Navigating websites in other languages. ]
- Digital Resources & Projects on East AsiaCrowd-sourced table of digital projects relating to the study and history of East Asia. Although intended to be a compilation of English-language sources, note that not all projects listed contain documents in English.
China:
site:*.cn will find your keywords on all Chinese websites;
site:*.gov.cn will find your keywords on Chinese government sites;
- Virtual Beijing Project"Virtual Beijing is an exploration of the history of Beijing in the 1920s-1940s through the use of digital technologies, H-GIS, and visual sources. "
- Virtual Shanghai Project"Virtual Shanghai is a research and resource platform on the history of Shanghai from the mid-nineteenth century to nowadays. It incorporates various sets of documents: essays, original documents, photographs, maps, quantitative data, etc."
Japan:
site:*.jp searches Japanese websites;
site:*.ac.jp searches Japanese academic websites;
Korea:
site:*.kr will find your keywords on Korean websites;
site:*.go.kr will find your keywords on Korean government websites.