Helping Students Find Primary Sources

(Originally titled “Straight from the Horse’s Mouth”)

In this Education Update article, author John Micklos Jr. recommends several online resources for original documents:

• The Library of Congress: www.loc.gov/teachers/usingprimarysources 
• The Reference and User Services Association, a division of the American Library Association: www.ala.org/rusa/resources/usingprimarysources 
• WorldCat: www.worldcat.org for access to resources in libraries worldwide (narrow the search to archival materials)

Micklos suggests that students ask five questions as they search for primary-source materials:

• Who is responsible for the information? Credentials and credibility?
• What’s the goal and who is the intended audience? Is the aim disseminating information, persuading, or selling products?
• Is this the original source, or was it copied or transcribed from somewhere else? 
• Are the materials accurate? Compare with other sources. 
• Does the source incorporate diverse perspectives?

“Straight from the Horse’s Mouth” by John Micklos Jr. in Education Update, November 2015 (Vol. 57, #11, p. 2-3, 6), http://bit.ly/1Mxadd8  

From the Marshall Memo #612