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RLST 390AM: Women in Islam (Fall 2024): Primary Sources

Primary Sources

Primary sources are the first-hand account about something. They can also be an original object, artifact, or direct evidence.

Important primary sources for this term paper might include:

  • Government reports (like the Final Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, or Immigration policies)
  • News reports
  • Original answers to a survey or interview
  • A story told by an Elder
  • Archaeological artifacts
  • Works of art, literature, or music
  • Historical documents (e.g. treaties, letters, maps)

Is it primary or secondary?

Primary Sources in Quick Find

Primary source searching in Quick Find requires a slightly different approach.  

You may be able to find some primary sources in Quick Find by using the same keywords you used to find secondary sources, but limit your results to specific time periods (on the left).

You can also combine your keyword(s) with some primary source keywords, such as diary(ies), pamphlet(s), letter(s), source(s), correspondence, speech(es), manuscript(s), personal narrative(s), interview(s), firsthand, eyewitness,  autobiography(ies), biography(ies).

See the video below to watch two primary source searches in Quick Find.

Primary Source Databases

U of R Libraries subscribe to a number of digitized primary source collections.  Some good ones for this assignment might be:

Click the image below to watch a primary source search in a database.