Course Research Guides
HIST 395: Nationalism
Professor Adeeb Khalid
Spring 2009
No matter how interesting or exciting your topic, your project will not be feasible unless you identify a group of primary sources.
This guide is focused on helping you to find primary sources for your research papers.
Getting Started
The bibliographies and notes of relevant secondary literature can be one of the best sources for identifying existing and relevant sources that can be used to explore your questions. Look not only for specific titles, but for the kinds of sources historians have used to explore your similar topics. This can help you figure out what kinds of sources are available, or the kinds of sources you want to use (or not use.)
Digitized and Full Text Collections
We have a number of full text collections of documents, newspapers, and other sources which may be of interest for you.
- American Periodical Series (1741-1900)
- Early American Newspapers (1690-1922)
- FBIS (1974-1996) Translated broadcasts, news agency transmissions, newspapers, periodicals and government statements from nations around the globe.
- World News Connection (1995-current) Translated and English-language news and information. Particularly effective in its coverage of local media sources.
- Lexis Nexis Academic Lots of international news sources.
- PAIS (Public Affairs Information Service) Archive 1915- current; Covers international literature in public affairs, public and social policies, and international relations.
- ProQuest Historical Newspapers
Chicago Defender: 1910 - 1975, NY Times: 1851 - 2005, LA Sentinel: 1934-2005, LA Times: 1881 - 1986, Minneapolis Tribune: 1867-1922
**Use a specialized search engine, like OAIster to find more digitized collections freely available online.
Indexes-Finding Aids
- LexisNexis Congressional (Government records, Regulations) Congressional hearings, public issues, legislation, history, and legal research. Includes Congressional Indexes, 1789-1969, and Statutes at Large
- Readers' Guide Retrospective (1890 – 1982)
Indexes popular literary and news publications during this period.
Finding Primary Sources in the Library (and beyond)
Search BRIDGE and WorldCat for printed collections of primary sources.
- Do an author search for persons, organizations, or group central to your topic.
Ex) AU: Rāvata, Amara Siṃha gives us
Reversing the gaze : Amar Singh's diary, a colonial subject's narrative of Imperial India
Ex) AU: National Reform Association gives us
The Working man's advocate
- Do a keyword search for words representing your topic and words that indicate primary source (source, letters, narrative, laws)
Ex) kw: women and india and SU: sources gives us:
Women writing home, 1700-1920 : female correspondence across the British Empire
Ex) Kw: Nationalism and SU: Sources give us:
Martin R. Delany: a documentary reader and In their own voice : women and Irish nationalism
Center for Research Libraries
The Center for Research Libraries has a number of microfilmed collections, international newspapers, and official documents from countries outside the U.S.
Their collection can be searched a number of ways:
- Online catalog (similar to BRIDGE but for their collection)
- Topic guides -- Annotated lists of resources for a given area.
- Newsletter (Focus) -- Collections related to a particular theme or region are highlighted in the quarterly newsletter.
Use Interlibrary Loan to place request for materials you find at CRL. Be sure to include in your notes that the items are available at CRL. If you need more help with these request, come see me.
This Research Guide By:
Heather Tompkins- Reference and Instruction Librarian
- x7172
- htompkin@carleton.edu
- Library 467
