Primary sources for history
Finding primary sources in the Library
Option 1: Library Search
- Library SearchUse Library Search to find books (print and electronic), journal articles, newspapers and other items available via the library.
The University Library provides access to many primary sources, both in print and electronically. You can find these sources by using Library Search. Use keywords related to your topic and add the word sources into your search. You can also limit your search to collection type, enabling you to locate primary source material held for viewing in our Special Collections reading room.
You can use keywords in combination with the terms below to find relevant sources
| Correspondence | Diaries | Documents |
| Early works to 1800 | Letters | Interviews |
| Photographs | Speeches | Narratives |
| Pictorial works | Memoirs | Oral history |
| Description and travel | Papers | Journal |
Searching for the papers of an individual, do an Author search, e.g. Darwin, Charles
To search for the records of an organisation or government body, do an Author search, e.g. British Library
To find works published in a particular time and place, try limiting your search by material type, publication date, language.
Option 2: Search Primary Source Databases
The University Library has access to a range of primary sources through several databases. You can locate these databases through Database Search.
- DatabasesThe Library provides access to databases for you to use in your studies and research. To find a database you can enter the name of a database in the search box or select a subject area or database type from the list.
- Adam Matthew DigitalAdam Matthew publishes unique primary source products for the social sciences and humanities. Contains historical primary source material from the 15th to 21st centuries. Users have access to nearly 70 collections spanning Australian, Asian, European and American history with notable and unique resources on gender, Empire, literature, migration, race relations and social life and customs.
- Adelaide ConnectThe University’s online community engagement platform for hosting and showcasing digitised content from its special collections. Adelaide Connect provides access to a wide range of works selected from the University’s special collections that document the history of the University of Adelaide as it is at any particular time.
- Archives Unboundrchives Unbound presents topically-focused digital collections of historical documents that support the research and study needs of scholars and students at the college and university level. Collections in Archives Unbound cover a broad range of topics from the Middle Ages forward-from Witchcraft to World War II to twentieth-century political history. Collections are chosen for Archives Unbound based on requests from scholars, archivists, and students
- Last Updated: Jul 31, 2024 3:57 PM
- URL: https://libguides.adelaide.edu.au/primarysourceshistory
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