LibGuides: Gender & Sexuality Studies: Find Primary Sources

Primary sources

Women

Archives of Sexuality and Gender
In Quick Search
A collection of primary source publications relating to the history and study of sex, sexuality, and gender studies research.
Dates covered: 16th century-20th century

Duke University's Digital Collections for Women's History
Good for finding photos, documents, and advertisements related to the women's movement, and other topics.
Women in Science and Engineering (Iowa State)
A digital collection containing papers and oral histories about women in STEM and Iowa botanist Ada Hayden.
Schlesinger Library on the History of Women- Digital Collections
The library's principal holdings are especially rich in the areas of women's rights movements, feminism, health, social reform, education, professional life, volunteer and civic efforts, family relationships, and travel.
Sophia Smith Collection (Smith College)
An internationally recognized repository of manuscripts, archives, photographs, periodicals and other primary sources in women's history.
Voices of Feminism Oral History Project
Documenting the persistence and diversity of organizing for women in the United States. Narrators include labor, peace, and anti-racism activists; artists and writers; lesbian rights advocates; grassroots anti-violence and anti-poverty organizers; and women of color reproductive justice leaders. Interviews cover childhood, personal life, and political work. Most oral histories consist of audiovisual recordings and transcripts, plus some background information.
Suffrage Documents (Library of Congress)
Selections from the National American Women Suffrage Association Collection, 1848-1921
Marriage and Sexuality in the U.S. and U.K. (Harvard)
Trial narratives relating to marriage and sexuality 1815-1914
Women Working 1800-1930
Collection devoted to materials about women's impact on economic development.

LGBTQ+

LGBTQ Politics and Political Candidates Archive
Archive of LGBTQ political candidates and topics with a focus on state and local governments. [Part of Library of Congress Digital Collections]
Digital Transgender Archive
A collection of primary source materials concerning trans history from a variety of archival holdings. [Based at Northeastern University in Boston, MA]
Where Love is Illegal
Compilation of stories from LGBTQ+ folks from around the world. [Created by Georgia non-profit "Witness Change"]
Transgender Archives
An archive containing materials related to the history of trans and gender-diverse activists.
Making Gay History Podcast
interview recordings of prominent figures who brought about change in gay culture and rights throughout history.
Out History
Website created by scholar Jonathan Ned Katz documenting queer history.

Policy

Center for American Women and Politics
Part of Rutgers University, the CAWP is a leader in scholarship and data about women in politics in the U.S.
Feminist Majority Foundation (FMF)
FMF is a non-profit seeking to advance women's equality. This link provides access to a variety of feminist history digital collections.
Institute for Women's Policy Research
Organization publishing research focused on women and policy.
National Center for Lesbian Rights
Legal group advocating for LBGT+ rights- a good place to go to find LGBT+ legal cases.
Center for Repoductive Rights
Legal advocacy group advocating for reproductive rights- useful for finding data and research on rights like abortion.

Primary Source FAQ

How is a primary source different from a secondary source?

A primary source is a direct record of an event or happening. Generally speaking, diaries, letters, memoirs, news reports, and social media posts are all primary sources. A secondary source is an analysis or interpretation of an event, using other sources. Journal articles, books, and documentaries are all secondary sources.

Where do primary sources come from?

Think of a text that you've sent to a friend recently. You've created a primary source! Unlike secondary sources, primary sources aren't usually created with research in mind. They come from people documenting their experiences for a variety of reasons.

Imagine a researcher 200 years from now is looking at your text message. What might they learn about college life in the current era?

Where do primary sources live and how do I find them?

Primary sources are usually housed in museums, libraries, and archives. We have a collection of primary source materials here at FLC in the Center for Southwest Studies. Some primary sources are also collected in books and ebooks (at Reed Library, many of these books will be housed in the D section of the stacks.). These days, many primary source collections are digitized and put online in various places for the purpose of research. Finding primary source materials online can take some time, since they are often organized by topic, institution, or collection. Search Tips and Tricks for Primary

Source Materials:

Get as specific as possible in terms of events and source types. For example, searching the web for Stonewall Uprising photographs, or Stonewall Uprising digital collections will likely yield better results than LGBT protest primary sources.
The source of your source is your friend! Use the bibliographies and citations of secondary sources to see which/ what kinds of primary sources the author uses for their research. Then try to find that particular source.
Think about which types of sources might be out there about your topic. Are you looking for a translated text? A painting?
Do not necessarily fear the website that looks like it is from 1990! Look instead at the institution hosting the website to decide if it should be used. If you have questions, contact your instructor or a librarian.
Search using terms like:
- "your topic" AND "digital repository"
- "your topic" AND archive
- "your topic" AND "digital archive"
- "your topic" AND "digital collection"