Finding primary sources is a complicated process that often involves a mix of careful planning and serendipitous discovery. Consider the following tips adapted from Zdena Sinkhorn (History '22).
•Hunh, that's funny" is the best reaction to a primary source. Keep in mind whenever you are looking for a source in a database, whether it is primary or secondary, there is no guarantee you will find what you are looking for. Oftentimes, the best sources are found by stumbling across an interesting looking source. This requires keeping an open mind, ready to consider unexpected perspectives.
•Make sure you keep a well-organized note system for your results, such as Zotero, OneNote, or EndNote. The College of Wooster supports Zotero as a citation management system. If you have not used Zotero before, you may want to check out the LibGuide linked below.
•As you find sources, consider bother their content and the context in which they were produced. Figuring out who created a source, why they did so, and how audiences responded to it can be just as important--if not more so--than analyzing what a source says.
The best way to look at databases is to look for something that interests you, that makes you stop and think. If you go look for a source to fit perfectly within your thesis or set of data, the chance you will find a perfect source are by no means guaranteed.
Understand what kind of database you are looking at. What kind of search functions does it have? Does it allow for general browsing?
Determine what kind of search you need to conduct to find the material you are looking for:
•Basic searches only search the material for either the singular term or general phrase you input. There are no other search parameters set and typically yield a large amount of results. These work best if you are unsure of what you are looking for or if you are looking for a greater amount of material.
•Advanced searches allow you to be more specific in a search, setting a key term or phrase within a certain set of parameters. An advanced search could include a specific range of dates, a specific region or area, a certain type of document or other particular characteristics of the material. Advanced searches work best if you have a good idea of what you are looking for and what conditions you want it to fulfill.
•Many databases also allow researchers to browse their collections through specific categories, which can give you a wider range of sources than individual searches would allow.
Be aware of what search terms you use. Something too general can yield far too many results to be practical, while an overly specific search will bring up almost nothing. For example, a database on African-American newspapers may turn up a large number of results for the term "civil rights." If you put this term with another, like the specific location "Birmingham" or the year "1963," this will narrow the results to better fit what you are researching.
•Another important note about key terms is to be consistently aware of what kind of database you are using. One more focused on African-American newspapers would result in a high number of materials related to "civil rights" whereas one focused on American legislation would turn up a rather different set of search results for the same term of "civil rights."
As you do research, make note of terms that might be useful for future searches.
•If you are doing research over a longer period of time, look for words that are different with similar meanings. It is sometimes the case where certain words will change in meaning over time, so making notes of this when you notice this will be helpful.
•It is also useful for simply understanding what terms would be helpful to look into to better support your research. Knowing what terms are important or connected to your research or question is a useful way to build up both your sources and argument.