For Primary Sources, Make Infobase Your First Stop
Anyone who wants to study history needs access to primary sources—copies of the documents, photographs, recordings, and other content created during the period being studied. Historians turn to primary sources first when doing research, but it’s not just historians who benefit from them. Primary sources are absolutely crucial to students who are learning about history, as studying them—especially when placed in context—can help students forge the critical-thinking skills necessary to become thoughtful, well-rounded citizens.
Infobase products have more than 10,000 primary source materials across multiple databases, disciplines, and formats, perfect for document-based learning and strengthening critical-thinking skills. Here are some of the products where you can find them:
Infobase’s History Databases
All of our history databases—American History, African-American History, American Indian History, Ancient and Medieval History, and Modern World History—feature hundreds of primary sources, many with introductions that provide context and background. The primary sources you’ll find include U.S. Supreme Court cases, important speeches, first-person accounts, correspondence, laws and legislation, treaties and pacts, government documents, and more.
Issues & Controversies
Issues & Controversies includes original documents with introductory paragraphs that provide context and background to the sources. You can also find Court Cases—original, searchable stand-alone articles that summarize key court cases—including those decided by the U.S. Supreme Court—on major issues in contemporary society, including affirmative action, animal rights, capital punishment, drugs, gun control, health care, immigration, racial profiling, and more. Each article explains the background of the case, the legal issues it raised, the court’s decision, and its impact.
Polling the Nations
Don’t forget that polls are primary sources, too, and Polling the Nations is the place to go for public opinion polls. Clear and unbiased, Polling the Nations’ polls are excellent primary sources that encourage and facilitate critical thinking and learning. Having access to this direct, unfiltered information provides a fresh perspective that can be found in no other place.
Science Hub
Interviews can also serve as primary sources, and you can find more than 700 “Conversations with Scientists”—engaging and insightful Q&As with today’s leading scientists across virtually every field of science—in Science Hub. Learn more about Conversations with Scientists here.
World News Digest
World News Digest, a go-to resource covering key issues and events in the news, includes an “Historical Documents” section that features primary sources with introductory notes that provide context and background.
