LibGuides: Primary Sources: Searching for Primary Sources

Primary Sources: Summon & the Library Catalogue

You can use the Summon search bar on the library's homepage, or use the library catalogue to find primary sources. The videos below will provide you with strategies for making the most of your searches.

If you are searching by keyword, consider adding primary source related terms to your search string, as this will bring up more relevant items. For example, a psychology student looking for primary resources about patients with post traumatic stress disorder could use the following search string: "post traumatic stress disorder" AND "case study."

Other examples of keywords related to primary sources that you can try adding to a search are:

archives
diary
fieldnotes
journal
letter
speech
song

Search Tips for Using the Catalogue:

You can search by title or author.
If you are looking for information on a topic, search by keyword or subject heading.
Subject headings are standardized terms assigned to each resource to describe content. When you find an item that is relevant to your search, pay attention to the subject headings used to describe the item in the catalogue Record. You can use the subject headings in other catalogue searches and in the library's databases to find articles on your topic.
If you need assistance with your searches, please don't hesitate to Ask Us - we're here to help!

Examples of Primary Sources in the Library

American Diaries, 1902-1926 by Theodore Dreiser; Neda M. Westlake (Editor); Thomas P. Riggio (Editor); James L. W. West (Editor)
Call Number: PS 3507 R55 Z467 1982
ISBN: 9780812278095
Publication Date: 1982-01-01
A compilation of novelist Thomas Dreiser's personal journals, extending from 1902-1926.
The Letters of Charles Dickens, 1859-1861 by Charles Dickens; Nina Burgis; British Academy Staff (Contribution by); Graham Storey (Editor); Margaret Brown (Editor); Kathleen Tillotson (Editor); Madeline House; Angus Easson
Call Number: PR 4581 A3 H6 v. 1
ISBN: 9780198122937
Publication Date: 1998-06-04
This ninth volume presents about 1,100 letters, many unpublished, from the years 1859 to 1861. It records Dickens's writing of two major novels, A Tale of Two Cities and Great Expectations.
The Correspondence of Charles Darwin 1866 by Charles Darwin; Sydney Smith; Frederick Burkhardt (Editor); Duncan M. Porter (Editor); Sheila Ann Dean (Editor); Samantha Evans (Editor); Shelley Innes (Editor); Alison M. Pearn (Editor); Andrew Sclater (Editor); Paul White (Editor)
Call Number: QH 31 D2 A33 1985 v. 1
ISBN: 0521844592
Publication Date: 2004-11-25
Charles Darwin's health improved substantially in 1866 under a dietary and exercise regime prescribed by his physician Henry Bence Jones. With renewed vigour, he worked steadily on his manuscript of Variation of Plants and Animals under Domestication, submitting all but the final chapter to his publisher in December. He also worked on the fourth, and much revised, edition of Origin which was delivered to printers in July, and preparations were begun for a third German edition of Origin. His improved health allowed him a more active social life. At Down, Darwin entertained a number of scientific colleagues whom he had known previously only through correspondence. He also made his first appearance in London scientific society in many years, touring the Zoological Gardens at Regent's Park, and appearing at a soire at the Royal Society.
The Government of Alberta's Guidelines on consultation with First Nations on land and natural resource management by Government of Alberta
Call Number: E 78 A34 G746 2014eb
Publication Date: 2014
The Government of Alberta's policy on consultation with First Nations on land and natural resource management, 2013 was released on August 16, 2013. The 2013 policy and this document, replace the 2005 policy and guidelines established in 2007.