Primary source material is a key part of historical research. A primary source is a document in which an event is described by its witnesses. Some examples are: diaries, letters, speeches, letters, interviews, newspapers, autobiographies, official records including government documents, pamphlets, photographs, films, art, novels, music, furniture, clothing, buildings, and jewellery.
A secondary source interprets and analyses primary sources. Secondary sources are one step removed from the event. Some examples are: textbooks, journal articles, histories, criticism, commentaries and encyclopedias.
To find books on a topic, search Omni.
To find books by a particular author/person, search by author:
flaubert gustave
To find books on a topic use a Keyword search, think of the focus (or key) words that describe your topic. Combine Boolean operators such as OR, NOT to expand/refine your search. Use quotations for phrases. You may also choose to do an Advanced Search in Omni (with the same results).
french AND novelists AND "20th century" NOT (electronic OR video?)
"gabrielle roy" AND criticism