Consider what types of primary sources might have been created during the historical moment you are exploring and that might be relevant to any subfield you are exploring.

One of the best places to start looking for primary sources are secondary sources that you've located. What are the author(s) citing as their primary source evidence? Do you have access to the same material?

Make sure you leave yourself plenty of time for primary source research as it can be the most time consuming part. If you need help, reach out to the library!

The library has subscriptions to a number of databases dedicated to primary source materials. Some databases feature a certain type of source such as newspapers while others might be from certain communities or time periods.

In our Special Collections Research Center on the fourth floor, the library also houses some primary source materials especially those related to the University and Appalachia. Some collections are browsable, but others have to be requested. The SCRC has dedicated staff who can help you see what is our collections and help you access them.

Increasingly, archives, museums, and other institutions are making their primary source collections available online. Here are some of the most popular collections of digitized material freely available online:

These are just a few of the digital collections available. If you need help finding primary sources or want to see what all is available online, please schedule an appointment with a librarian.