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Sport in American History: Primary Sources

This guide will provide resources for the Sport in American History elective, spring 2021.

What are primary sources?

Primary sources are artifacts that were created during the time that is being studied. Some examples include letters, diaries, photos or videos, newspaper or magazine articles, interviews, speeches, oral histories, government documents, public opinion polls, and Tweets or other social media posts (for contemporary topics). We use primary sources both to get and to give a more complete view of what people were thinking, feeling, and experiencing at the time that we are studying. 

Using Primary Sources

You will likely focus on electronic primary sources. Some suggestions for finding and using electronic primary sources:

  • When searching for electronic primary sources it can be helpful to add one of the following keywords: "documents", "sources", "narrative", "voices", "speeches", or "recordings".
  • Remember that the language or vocabulary used in historical eras could be different than the language we use today. 
  • Evaluate your primary sources to decide whether they will be both helpful and reputable. 
    • Who created your artifact? Where do/did they live? What are/were their credentials or professions? Do/did they have a social/cultural bias that is apparent in the source?
    • What is the purpose of your artifact? Fact or opinion? Is it trying to be persuasive? 
  • Take notes:
    • What does your artifact suggest that people thought at the time it was created?
    • What did people agree or disagree about?
    • Which people, places, and organizations were important in the event?

Newspapers

Newspapers are a great option for primary sources. We have access to many historical and contemporary newspapers through our library databases, and it is possible to access many other historical databases through sites such as the Library of Congress. 

Historical Newspapers:

Contemporary Newspapers:

Nobles students and employees also have access to several contemporary newspapers, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, the LA Times, and The Washington Post, through the library. For access to these papers, please go to lib.nobles.edu, and then the "Newspapers" tab in the top right corner. Follow the login prompts for either students or staff. Please let a librarian know if you have difficulty getting to any of these papers.

Other Primary Sources in Databases

Many of our databases include primary sources, such as the full text of speeches, interviews, and government documents. When you search, make sure to filter your results to "primary sources". 

  • To narrow your search to primary source documents, click "Filters" in the top left of your results page and click the boxes for "Documents" and "Media".

You can search images specifically by going to the "Images" dropdown on the top menu, or to see all primary sources you can search and then select "Primary Source Documents" on the "Source Types" menu on the left-hand side of the results screen.

Google Advanced Search

Many private organizations, as well as federal, state, and local governments, provide digital access to documents and other primary sources on their websites. Google Advanced Search is a very powerful search tool for finding these types of primary sources.

Some Google Advanced Search tips:

  • In the box asking for Site or Domain, try using one of the following limiters:
    • .edu: Will limit your search to educational organizations - usually colleges or universities. Sometimes universities hold collections of documents or other primary sources.
    • .org: Will limit your search to non-profit organizations such as museums or professional or cultural organizations. You may be able to find archival material.
    • .gov: Will limit your search to materials published by the federal, state, and/or local governments. 
    • archives.gov: Will limit your search to material held in the National Archives. These will be materials published by the United States Federal Government. 
    • loc.gov: Will limit your search to material held in the Library of Congress.

Accessing Databases

On Campus: 

  • You should be able to click through links as you would a free website. If you are prompted for a log-in, please see a librarian.

Off Campus: 

  • You will have to log in using your Nobles ID and password.

Important Notes:

  • If you open a database tab in one place (i.e., at school or home) and leave it open, it will not work when you reopen it in another place (i.e., at home or at school). This is because your use of the library databases depends on the network to which your computer is attached. 

  • DO NOT copy the URL at the top of your screen to include in your citations. It will not work.

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