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HIS/POS 498 Capstone: Left, Right Center: Politics in the Long Sixties (Kannenberg)
Tips & Tricks
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HIS/POS 498 Capstone: Left, Right Center: Politics in the Long Sixties (Kannenberg): Tips & Tricks
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Secondary Sources
Primary Sources
Tips & Tricks
Reminder: Research is a time consuming process. Think strategically about how you search for both secondary and primary sources. Be persistent. Try, try, then try again.
Some tips and tricks for discovering primary sources...
Searching for primary sources can be both interesting and frustrating. How do you even know what to look for?!? When you embark on a research project you don't always know what's out there as far as primary sources are concerned. I recommend approaching this like a detective. Ask yourself:
What clues do I already have? Look to your secondary sources! In some cases your secondary sources will explicitly cite primary sources in their footnotes or works cited page. In other instances they will mention a person, a famous report, a document, etc. that you can then Google.
WorldCat contains tons of records for primary sources. In many instances once you've identified a potentially useful source in WorldCat, you can then Google the title of the primary source and find full-text access to it right then and there.
Google really is an excellent tool for discovering primary sources. Try Googling some keywords associated with your topic and adding the words "primary source" or archive. You can also try identifying a historical society or archives collections associated with your topic or some aspect of your topic.
If you want to get your hands on a government document (local, state, federal) try Googling it. You'll be amazed at how much full-text you can find online.
Older documents in general: There's a vast array of content available online nowadays due to digitization projects and initiatives spearheaded by libraries, colleges and universities, museums, consortiums, and commercial companies. Always try Googling the thing you're looking for - there's a chance you'll find it online.
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