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HIST 490C: Politics and Religion in Early Modern Britain (Fall 2024)

Tips for Primary Sources

  • Don't use too many words. Keep it simple.
  • Use the build-in features of the databases to narrow results, not additional search terms.
  • Spend time trying the same search in multiple databases.
  • Spend time thinking about the types of sources your topic will need: letters, newspapers, unpublished materials, etc.
  • If you're stuck, look at the footnotes of your published secondary sources to see where they are finding their sources.
  • Be mindful of how language changes over time. What terms would writers be using during the time period you're examining?

Most Important Tip

Consider the type of material you'll need for your project, and then pick your database or archive accordingly

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