Women's, Gender & Sexuality Studies Resources
Searching for Primary Sources Online
As you search for primary sources using online databases, you may notice that you do not get as many search results as you expect. There are a few reasons this may be the case, and understanding these reasons can help you effectively search for and locate applicable sources.
1. Terminology changes over time, which affects your search results
When you search for sources about an event, person, or organization, you will likely use related search terms, or keywords, in the search engine. Depending on how much context is provided within a database, search results may or may not have much description aside from the text on the primary source itself, so it can be important to use search terms that represent terms that correspond with the time period you are researching.
For instance, if you wanted to find primary sources from 1918 about some aspect of World War I, you would need to use the search term "The Great War" instead of "World War I," since "The Great War" is how people living during the war referred to it.
It's always a good idea to try a couple of searches using different keywords to see what terms are most effective for your topic.
You can use background sources, scholarly sources, or help from your instructor or a librarian if you need assistance determining the most effective keywords to use in your searches.
2. Some primary or secondary sources may not exist in databases or may be very difficult to find
Libraries and archives are not exempt from the norms of dominant culture or existing power structures. They have traditionally collected and described items that reflect what is valued by the dominant culture. Although many librarians and archivists are actively working to increase representation of marginalized communities in collections and to remedy problematic descriptions of archival materials, this work is a long, ongoing process.
It is likely that you will still be able to locate valuable primary sources for any research question, although for some topics, you may need to use a creative approach to finding and locating these sources. Do not lose hope! UH librarians are happy to help you generate a research strategy.
Primary Sources in Databases
You can also find digitized versions of primary sources from many institutions by searching databases publicly available or accessible through UH Libraries. Use the links below to explore these databases.
- Library of Congress Digital CollectionsFind digital and digitized materials held by the Library of Congress.
- National ArchivesFind archives from all regions of the U.S. held by the federal government.
- TARO: Texas Archival Resources OnlineThis database contains finding aids for archival collections from institutions across the state of Texas. Note that some finding aids may have links to digital or digitized archival materials, but others may not.
- Arte Público Hispanic Historical Collection, series 2 This link opens in a new windowThe Latino-Hispanic American Experience: Leaders, Writers and Thinkers presents thematic content focusing on the evolution of Hispanic civil rights, religious thought, and the growing presence of women writers from the late 19th and 20th centuries. Rare and relevant books and newspapers --including rare anarchist newspapers -- are presented in their original form. Extensive manuscript collections of both organizations and individuals are included for viewing, indexed for ease of search and maximum discovery. This collection offers a unique approach, focusing exclusively on the Latino-Hispanic history in the United States
- Arte Público Hispanic Historical Collection, Series 1 This link opens in a new windowThe Arte Público Hispanic Historical Collection: Series 1 presents a digital collection of historical content pertaining to U.S. Hispanic history, literature and culture. "Recovering the U.S. Hispanic Literary Heritage Project," from which the collection draws its content, is the largest national project ever to locate, preserve and disseminate Hispanic culture of the United States in its written form since colonial times until 1960. Created under the direction of Dr. Nicolás Kanellos, founder and director of Arte Público Press, the collection conveys the creative life of U.S. Hispanics, and sheds new light on the intellectual vigor and traditional values that have characterized Hispanics from the earliest moments of this country's history through contemporary times.
- Black Studies Center This link opens in a new windowBlack Studies Center combines current and historical resources for research and teaching in Black studies including Schomburg Studies on the Black Experience, HistoryMakers interviews with contemporary African Americans,International Index of Black Periodicals (IIBP), The Chicago Defender covering 1910-1975, ProQuest Dissertations for Black Studies from 1970-2004, and Black Literature Index covering 1827-1940. This fully cross-searchable gateway to Black studies includes scholarly essays, recent periodicals, historical newspaper articles, and much more.
- HeritageQuest Online This link opens in a new windowHeritageQuest Online is a comprehensive database of American genealogical sources and is rich in unique primary sources, local and family histories, and finding aids. The collection consists of six core data sets: U.S. Federal Censuses from 1790 through 1930, over 28,000 genealogy and local history books, Periodical Source Index (PERSI), Revolutionary War Records, Freedman’s Bank Records and LexisNexis U.S. Serial Set records. Access provided by MOREnet.
- North American Women's Letters and Diaries This link opens in a new windowNorth American Women’s Letters and Diaries is the largest electronic collection of women’s diaries and correspondence ever assembled. Spanning more than 300 years, it presents the personal experiences of hundreds of women. Complementing Alexander Street’s British and Irish Women's Letters and Diaries, the database is ideal for research in women’s studies, history, sociology, literature, genealogy, and other fields.
- Women and Social Movements in the United States, 1600-2000 This link opens in a new windowA resource for students and scholars of U.S. history and U.S. women's history. Organized around the history of women in social movements in the U.S. between 1600 and 2000.
- OutHistoryContains digitized primary sources pertaining to LGBTQ+ historical figures.
- America, History and Life This link opens in a new windowProvides historical and cultural coverage of the United States and Canada from prehistory to the present. Includes information abstracted from journals published worldwide.
- Godey's Lady's Book (1830-1898) This link opens in a new windowIn addition to extensive fashion descriptions and plates, the early issues included biographical sketches, articles about mineralogy, handcrafts, female costume, the dance, equestrienne procedures, health & hygiene, recipes & remedies, etc. Each issue also contained two pages of sheet music, written essentially for the piano forte. Gradually the periodical matured into an important literary magazine and contained extensive book reviews and works by Harriet Beecher Stowe, Edgar Allen Poe, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and many other celebrated 19th century authors who regularly furnished the magazine with essays, poetry and short stories
- JSTOR This link opens in a new windowArts and humanities database on language and literature, music, film studies, folklore, performing arts, religion, and the study of art and architecture.
- UH Digital CollectionsThe UH Libraries Digital Collections website contains digital primary source materials.