Writing a paper or thesis that will include, or will be based on primary sources is very much like doing the research for any other paper, but there are some key issues to keep in mind at the beginning. It is essential to find out how available the information on your chosen topic is. For instance, a paper on the lives of illiterate emigrant women in Boston in the 1800's would be very hard to research. It is extremely likely that there is no specific source for this data and you would end up having to canvas many repositories to track down the information you need. However, a paper about the impact of the First World War on life at Mount Holyoke College would be relatively easy to research.

Another issue to keep in mind is that primary research takes longer than research using secondary sources. In conducting primary research it is often necessary to look through many pages of personal correspondence, reports, minutes, and other materials to find just a few pertinent examples. Also repositories of primary materials (archives, special collection, historical societies, etc.) are often understaffed and have limited hours of access.

It is also extremely important to be flexible and open-minded concerning your topic. It never pays to formulate an opinion regarding an issue and then set out to prove it. Instead you should use the primary sources that are available to thoroughly explore your topic.

Mount Holyoke College Archives and Special Collections 8 Dwight Hall, 50 College St. South Hadley, MA 01075 (413) 538-2013

Copyright © 1997, Mount Holyoke College. This page created by the Library and maintained by