Practical Considerations

Some types of primary sources can be readily found and used anywhere, for example printed primary sources like popular 19th century novels (most libraries have books by Mark Twain, Nathaniel Hawthorn, and Jane Austen.)

Digital primary sources are also easy to access, whether they are freely available like those at the Library of Congress, or in subscription databases of digital primary sources purchased by JHU.

Other primary sources are rare, fragile, and not available digitally. We have many of these types of sources in our Special Collections and Archives. However, others may not be available at JHU or locally.

If you are just starting your research process, take some time to brainstorm what types of primary sources you will need to answer your research question. Then make sure you will be able to access the sources you need.