Searching for Primary Sources
The following terms are found in the subject headings of records for published primary sources.
- sources
- diaries
- personal narratives
- songs
- pamphlets
- speeches
- maps
- caricatures and cartoons
- pictorial works (for compilations of photographs or other visual materials)
- specimens
- periodicals
Sample catalog searches
There are two main ways that you can search the SUBJECT field in the Library catalog.
1. If you want to browse subject terms, select "Browse Alphabetically: Subject" from the drop-down menu and search on broad categories, like "Communism and Education."
Because this is an alphabetical search, the word order matters; "Communism and education" will have different search results than "Education and Communism." And both of these will have different results than "Communism in education."
2. If you want to find resources with your terms anywhere in the subject field, search the Library Catalog and select SUBJECT from the drop down menu.
The order of the words does not matter in a Keyword search: communism education will have the same search results as education communism. This search has the benefit of including results for both "Communism in education" and "Communism and education."
All Fields Search vs. Subject Search
Search All Fields of a catalog record to find titles with your keywords in any field. A Subject search will search only the Subject field.
Use a All Fields search to broaden your search and use a subject search to refine your search.
Not all search terms will have a corresponding subject term. For example, "Marxism" is not a subject term. If you search All Fields for Marxism education results will include titles not found in a subject search for communism education.
