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HIST 32050 - Historical Research Methods: Using KentLINK to find Primary resources in holdings

Tips for finding Primary resources in KentLINK

Tips for finding primary resource materials using KentLINK:

Keyword searching will usually yield your best results. Try combining the topic you are interested in with words like personal correspondence, letters, or diaries. Standard subject headings include "description and travel" and "social life and customs". It is important to watch date ranges of your results; also check to see if the author is the same as the individual mentioned in the title or subject heading -- that is one of the best ways to determine it's a personal memoir.

 

A keyword search might look something like this:

 

London and (social life or description or letters or diaries or personal correspondence)

 

Since that keyword search finds over 2500 items, you might want to limit your search by adding an additional keyword or using a date restriction.

 

For example, add and crime to the above search, limit to items published before 1920 .

Remember that while limiting by date can help you focus your results, you may exclude primary materials published at a later time. For example of a primary source published significantly after the events discussed, check the record for First into Nagasaki and read the summary included in the record.