LibGuides: EDU 503: History and Philosophy of Education and Leadership: Primary Documents

Defining Primary Documents

The following external links provide helpful information for determining what can be a primary document.

What Are Primary Sources?
This page, part of Yale University's Collections Collaborative project, classifies the common types of primary sources and suggests tools for finding each type. Some of the subscription databases mentioned are available at Ikeda Library.
Types of Primary Sources
This page by Peter Pappas, a teacher trainer and education consultant, describes the types of primary documents by a different set of criteria than the Yale University page above.
Evaluating Historical Sources
This page both defines source types and describes how to read each type. It was written by Dr. Randolph Hollingsworth for an upper division history course at the University of Kentucky.

Using Primary Documents

The following resources describe how to work with primary resources.

Archive Journal Issue 2, Fall 2012: Notes & Queries
This entry in the Notes & Queries section by Laurie N. Taylor provides an annotated bibliography of sources on how to do archival research. It also includes information on how to handle primary documents, an important part of working with historical materials.
Using Primary Resources: Teaching Guides from the Tennessee State Library and Archives
This very comprehensive PDF from the Tennessee State Library and Archives Education Outreach has it all: definitions, why we use primary sources, examples, reading like a historian, and how to analyze primary documents. This link takes you to the Teaching American History Project site at the Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media.

Finding Primary Documents

The first three sites listed below offer tips for finding primary documents, as well as links to other resources. The last three sites are online sources for primary documents.

Education: Primary Resources
This and the next link are to LibGuides from Milne Library, State University of New York at Genesco. This LibGuide includes a definition of primary documents and a list of places to find primary documents online. Some of the subscription databases listed can be found at Ikeda Library as well.
History: Finding Primary Sources Online
This LibGuide also includes a number of links to online sources for primary documents. These resources focus on broader historical periods. Be sure to checkout the What is History Research? tab in this LibGuide for more information on primary resources and some visual examples.
Primary Sources for Historical Research
This LibGuide from the University of North Carolina, Wilmington is for history majors but has a number of suggestions and resources that will work for history of education researchers as well. There are many links to open access online primary document sources toward the bottom of the page.
Primary Sources: Research Guide
This is a list of links to sites that offer open access to primary documents, such as the American Memory site maintained by the Library of Congress. This list is part of the Healey Library at the University of Massachusetts, Boston's Primary Sources Research Guide.
Internet Archive
This site brings together many collections of primary sources, most contributed by libraries. Use the advanced search function to help you narrow your searches, or scroll through the contributors on the homepage to get an idea of what kinds of documents are available.
New York Heritage Digital Collections
This site has primary documents created by and/or held in New York institutions. To search by topic, time period, or collection, click on Browse. There is also a Search Within Results feature that makes narrowing the results for keyword searches much easier.
History of American Education Web Project
This site, created and maintained by Professor Robert N. Barger, includes information on many educational topics and has images of primary documents. The materials amassed were part of a project for an undergraduate class; please read the Information about this Project before using this resource.