Primary source databases

Primary sources allow researchers to get as close as possible to original ideas, events, and empirical research as possible. Such sources include creative works, first hand accounts of events, and the publication of empirical observations or research.

Legend

Resource is restricted to current Virginia Tech students, faculty, and staff.

license for virginia tech alumni use Resource is licensed for Virginia Tech alumni access. Use Alumni Library Portal sign in to access.

Freely accessible database, available to anyone without restriction.

provided by viva Sponsored by VIVA, the Virtual Library of Virginia.

open access gold Resource provides open access publishing opportunities and open access publications.

open access green Resource provides self archiving opportunities and open access documents.

America: History & Life from EBSCOhost
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America: History and Life is an index of literature covering the history and culture of the United States and Canada, from prehistory to the present. The database includes citations and links to journal articles, dissertations, primary documents, and book and media reviews. Some content is available full-text (PDF and HTML). Allows limiting to peer reviewed articles, those with references, and to historical periods (date ranges). 1863-present.
Library of Congress Digitized Collections
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The Library of Congress's digitized American historical materials are organized into more than 100 thematic collections. Original formats include manuscripts, prints, photographs, posters, maps, sound recordings, motion pictures, books, pamphlets, and sheet music. Collections may be browsed individually, searched individually (including full-text searching for many written items), or searched across multiple collections. 1400s-present.
The original formats include manuscripts, prints, photographs, posters, maps, sound recordings, motion pictures, books, pamphlets, and sheet music. Each online collection is accompanied by a set of explanatory features designed to make the materials easy to find, use, and understand. Collections may be browsed individually, searched individually (including full-text searching for many written items), or searched across multiple collections.
Ancestry Library Edition
Ancestry Library Edition is an academic version of ancestry.com. Contains coverage of the U.S. and the U.K., including census, vital, church, court, and immigration records, as well as record collections from Canada and other areas. A collection of more than 4,000 databases and 1.5 billion names including U.S. federal census images and indexes from 1790 to 1940; the Map Center containing more than 1,000 historical maps; American Genealogical Biographical Index (over 200 volumes), Daughters of the American Revolution Lineage (over 150 volumes), The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England, 1620-1630, Social Security Death Index, WWI Draft Registration Cards, Federal Slave Narratives, and a Civil War collection.
Answers await everyone—whether professional or hobbyist, expert or novice, genealogist or historian—inside the more than 7,000 available databases. Here, you can unlock the story of you with sources like censuses, vital records, immigration records, family histories, military records, court and legal documents, directories, photos, maps, and more.
Archives of Sexuality & Gender from Gale
The Archives of Sexuality & Gender provides primary sources on social, political, health, and legal issues impacting LGBTQ communities around the world. Includes LGBTQ History and Culture since 1940 and Sex and Sexuality: 16th to 20th Century.
Education Research Complete from EBSCOhost
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Education Research Complete indexes citations, abstracts, and full text from journals, books, book chapters, case studies, essays, interviews, conference proceedings, product reviews, and experiments in all areas of education. You can limit to peer-reviewed journals. 1865-present.
The database provides indexing and abstracts for more than 2,100 journals, as well as full text for nearly 1,300 journals. This database also includes full text for nearly 550 books and monographs, full text for numerous education-related conference papers, plus author profiles for the most prolific authors in the field.
GreenFILE from EBSCOhost
GreenFILE indexes citations, abstracts, and full-text articles, books, case studies, conference papers, speeches and interviews, letters, and reports covering all aspects of human impact to the environment including agricultural, architectural, engineering, education, and the social sciences. Full text is available in HTML and PDF. You can limit to peer-reviewed sources. Free access version is also available. 1913-present.
HathiTrust
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The HathiTrust Digital Library contains over seven million volumes and over one billion pages of scanned books and other materials. About 20 percent of all content is in the public domain (and accessible to you). You can also browse several public collections. Content is available in several image formats, text, and PDF. 1200s-present.
Political Science Complete from EBSCOhost
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Political Science Complete indexes citations, abstracts, and full text of journal articles, conference papers, reference books, country reports, interviews and speeches, and book reviews on all aspects of political science. You can do cited reference searches and limit to scholarly sources. 1887-present.