Guides: FSEM 100: Left-Wing Authoritarianism: Stalin, Mao, and Castro: Home

Primary or Secondary?

These articles are in library research databases. Which one is a primary source about women in the 1917 Russian Revolution. Which one is a secondary source?

Find secondary sources

A secondary source is an analysis, evaluation, or interpretation of an event or time period. They interpret or analyze the primary source material. Examples of secondary sources include books and articles that give analysis or commentary.

Try searching for secondary sources in the following databases:

OneSearch (advanced search page) This link opens in a new window
Use OneSearch to find both primary and secondary sources on any topic.

To find secondary sources, consider using the search index to limit your results to sources on the Subject of your topic.
JSTOR This link opens in a new window
An archive of scholarly journals. Content spans many disciplines, primarily in the humanities and social sciences. The most recent 3-5 years of journals are generally not available. JSTOR has a number of other collections to which we do not subscribe. Provided through a cooperative agreement with Stetson's College of Law Library.
Academic Search Complete (EBSCOhost) This link opens in a new window
A broad, general full-text database that includes both popular and scholarly periodicals. It covers virtually all academic areas of study, including social sciences, sciences, and humanities.

Find primary sources

A primary source provides direct, first-hand evidence of an event, an object, or a person. Primary sources provide facts about an event or time period. Examples of primary sources include autobiographies, letters, memories, diaries, speeches, court decisions, eyewitness accounts, and official government records.

Primary Source Databases

OneSearch (advanced search page) This link opens in a new window
Use OneSearch to find both primary and secondary sources on any topic.

To find primary sources, consider searching for sources written by the person you are studying with the Author search index. Or, add a keyword like "speech" or "letter" to your search.
Historical Newspapers (Five Major Papers) This link opens in a new window
Search this database to look for articles published in American newspapers during the time the events you are studying happened. Consider limiting results to the publication date around the time the event you are studying happened in order to limit results to primary sources.
Illustrated London News (1842-2003) This link opens in a new window
The world’s first fully illustrated weekly newspaper, marking a revolution in journalism and news reporting. Presented a vivid picture of British and world events; all issues from 1842 to 2003 included.
Time Magazine Archive (EBSCOhost) This link opens in a new window
Includes all issues of Time Magazine from 1923 to 2000. Advertisements are included. PDF full text. Instructions for browsing. If you are looking for the records of Time Inc., visit the New-York Historical Society webiste at https://www.nyhistory.org/library/time-inc-archive
Life Magazine archive on Google Books This link opens in a new window
Includes magazine issues from 1936-1972.

Primary Source Websites

Conversations with Mao Zedong
From the Wilson Center, this collection brings together conversations held between Mao and foreign leaders from both within and outside of the communist bloc in order to offer insights into Mao's worldview and major developments in China's domestic history and foreign relations.
Mao Zedong Internet Archive
The Marxist Internet Archive's collections of Mao Zedong's writings, from 1917 to 1970.
Stalin and the Cold War
From the Wilson Center, this collection contain Stalin's own writings, conversations, and legacy. The documents come mostly from the 1950s, and from Russian archives.
Castro Speech Database
This database includes speeches, interviews, etc., by Fidel Castro from 1959 to 1996. All texts are in English
Cuban Foreign Relations
From the Wilson Center, this collection includes documents on Cuban's international relations, focusing on its relationship with the Soviet Union, China and the United States.
Cuban Missile Crisis
From the Wilson Center, this collection provides documents concerning the Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962, including letters between Soviet representatives in Cuba, the US, the UN, and the USSR Foreign Ministry.

FSEM 100: Left-Wing Authoritarianism: Stalin, Mao, and Castro

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