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Demystifying Primary Sources for Historical Research In-Person

Primary sources are the raw materials that historians use to interpret the past, but history students often find it challenging to locate and incorporate primary documents into assignments. In this two-hour workshop we will clarify the meaning of primary sources and survey the variety of primary source types available in the University of Toronto Libraries. Emphasis is placed on practical strategies for finding primary sources, both in print and electronically.

Through short lectures, interactive class discussions and hands-on exercises, you will learn:

  • To define and identify primary sources and to distinguish them from secondary and tertiary sources
  • About the variety of primary source types, both published and unpublished
  • The difference between libraries and archives as repositories of primary source materials
  • Techniques for searching the library catalogue to find primary sources
  • To identify and search digital collections of primary sources at the University of Toronto Libraries and beyond
  • To cite primary source materials

Location: E.J. Pratt Library, E-Classroom (room 306, third floor).

Instructors: Agatha Barc and Colin Deinhardt are Reader Services & Instruction Librarians at the E.J. Pratt Library.

Date:
Thursday, February 8, 2018
Time:
3:00pm - 5:00pm
Time Zone:
Eastern Time - US & Canada (change)
Location:
E.J. Pratt Library
Campus:
St. George (Downtown) Campus
Registration has closed.

Event Organizer

Colin Deinhardt