EDU 503: History and Philosophy of Education and Leadership: Primary Sources at Ikeda Library

Ikeda Library has other history databases that will be helpful as well. For more information about these databases, and a list of all the history databases available at Ikeda Library, including the World Scholar: Latin America & Caribbean database, see the History Databases tab on the Databases page.

Because primary documents come in all shapes, sizes, and types, they can be tricky to find sometimes.  There are a number of strategies you can employ to see what is available:

1. Determine key players or historical figures who are most relevant to your research, and work your way out. 

The works, memoirs, diaries, letters, and other paraphernalia of more well-known historical figures are often well indexed.  You can use their materials to determine other persons of interest whose correspondence or papers might be available for perusal, or use clues from their writings to find other primary documents of the time, such as pamphlets, that are pertinent to your research.  

You can then use this information to run database, catalog, or Internet searches.

2. See what collections exist that are thematically or contextually relevant to your research.

Libraries, museums, and private collections often have special collections of materials on or by famous people or on or about a specific time, place, or topic.  You will find external links for these kinds of resources in the Finding Primary Documents box on the left.

We have our own collection of primary documents about Soka University of America available for researchers, here at Ikeda Library. For more information, or to make a research appointment, visit The University Archives and Photography Office page.  

3. Use secondary sources to find primary documents. 

Secondary documents on a topic often cite primary documents, and so you can get an idea of the kinds of primary documents that are available or have been used in a given field, just by enjoying someone else's scholarship.

Our databases also have both primary documents and secondary documents available.  Educational databases that might be helpful include:

In addition to the databases that contain primary documents, Ikeda Library also has books and electronic resources with collections of primary documents by educators or about education.   Many of the selected reference texts in this LibGuide are primary documents.  Below is a list of other primary documents written or created by historical figures who made significant contributions to the field of education.

Here are primary documents by John Dewey and Maria Montessori, available from Ikeda Library.