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Follow this link to a thorough guide - with good links - to intelligent searching for and use of primary sources. It was produced by the Reference and User Services section of the American Library Association.
Try some of these instead of plain old Google to do a focused search in selected educational and non-profit domains.
Use these words in the SUBJECT field to get the best results. Just combine them with the keywords you think are appropriate. This is much easier to do using the Advanced Search feature (see above).
Examples of subject headings for primary source materials:
| Subdivision | What Does It Identify? | Used Under What Kind of Heading? | Example(s) |
| Archival Resources | Brief descriptions of types of documents/historical records, about a particular place or topic, available at an institution or institutions | Countries, etc. Topics |
Canada--History--Archival resources |
| Archives | Collections of documents or historical records including notes, correspondence, minutes, photographs, legal papers | Names of people Corporate bodies Educational institutions Types of corporate bodies/educational institutions Classes of persons Ethnic Groups |
Fermi, Enrico, 1901-1954--Archives |
| Autographs | Collections or discussions of the person's autograph or handwriting | Names of people Classes of persons |
Composers--Autographs |
| Biography | Works detailing a prominent individual’s life - marginally primary, depending on date of composition | Names of individuals Classes of persons |
African Americans --Biography |
| Caricatures and cartoons | Collections or discussions of caricatures or pictorial humor | Names of people Corporate bodies Classes of persons Ethnic groups Names of wars Topical headings |
New York (State)--Politics and government--Caricatures and cartoons |
| Catalogs | Works listing objects located in organizations, institutions or particular places | Names of artists Corporate bodies Types of organizations |
Fitzwilliam Museum--Catalogs |
| Comic books, strips, etc. | Names of people Topical headings |
Spiegelman, Art--Comic books, strips, etc. | |
| Correspondence | Letters from and/or to the person or people; can be subdivided by -Catalogs | Names of people Classes of persons Ethnic groups |
Nuns--Ireland--Correspondence |
| Description - [dates] | Add -Views for pictorial works | Cities | |
| Description and travel- [date] | Places | Quebec (Province)--Description and travel | |
| Diaries | Collections or discussions of the person's diaries and for individual diaries | Names of persons Classes of people |
Working class women--Massachusetts--Boston--Diaries |
| Early Works to 1800 | Works composed before 1800 | Genres and disciplines | Discography - early works to 1800 |
| Facsimiles | Scans of primary source materials | Types of printed materials Specific documents |
Manuscripts, Belarusian (Old)--Facsimiles |
| History--Sources | Collections or discussion of contemporary writings such as legal documents, letters, diaries, family papers,etc. assembled at a later time to serve as source material for research | Countries Names of people Classes of persons Ethnic groups Topical headings not inherently historical |
Civil rights--United States--History--Sources |
| Interviews | Works consisting of transcripts of what was said during the course of the interview or conversations with a person on one or more occasions | Names of people Classes of people |
Authors, Spanish--20th century--Interviews |
| Library Resources | Works describing the resources and special collections available | Countries Names of people Corporate bodies Classes of persons Ethnic groups Topical headings |
Health education--Library resources |
| Manuscripts | Manuscripts - Catalogs Manuscripts - Facsimiles Manuscripts - Indexes Manuscripts - Microform catalogs |
Literary authors Literary works that enter under title Sacred works Groups of authors Names of literatures Topical headings |
Music--Manuscripts--Netherlands--Utrecht |
| Maps | Individual maps or collections of maps | Countries, etc. Corporate bodies Topical headings |
Japan--Civilization--Maps |
| Notebooks, sketchbooks | Collections or discussions of the person's notebooks or sketchbooks | Names of people | Tsang, Fu Ji, 1958--Notebooks, sketchbooks, etc. |
| Personal narratives | Personal reminiscences or accounts by participants | Names of events Names of wars |
Bataan, Battle of, Philippines, 1942--Personal narratives |
| Pamphlets | Unbound, brief communication on contemporary issue | Names of events Names of authors Names of eras |
United States--Sources--Pamphlets |
| Pictorial Works | Names of people Named entities Classes of persons Ethnic groups Individual wars Topical headings |
Dachshunds--Pictorial works | |
| Portraits | Collections or discussion of portraits of persons living after 1400; use -Art for those living before | Names of people | Rabbis--Portraits |
| Posters | Collections or discussion of posters depicting the person, group, etc. | Names of people Corporate bodies Classes of persons Ethnic groups Individual wars Topical headings |
Local transit--United States--Posters |
| Self Portraits | Reproductions or discussion of self-portraits by the person | Names of people | Goya, Francisco, 1746-1828--Self-portraits |
| Speeches | |||
| Statues | Works discussing or containing reproductions of statues of the person | Names of people | Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865--Statues |