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 jewelry.
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 by a particular author/person, search by author:
goethe johann wolfgang von
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).
goethe faust
picaresque german
goethe faust (creativity OR imagination)
