History Day Research @ CSM: Get Started

Primary Source - Materials from the time of the person or event being researched.  (Letters, diaries artifacts, photographs, and other types of first-hand accounts and records, as well as reminiscences and oral histories. Stories from newspapers of the time may also be primary sources.)

Secondary Source - Materials that were created at a later time.  They analyze and interpret primary sources; footnotes or bibliographies can lead to primary sources.

Still confused about Primary vs. Secondary Sources?  Check out a short video tutorial!

Remember this year's theme--"Triumph and Tragedy"--when selecting your topic. More information on the theme is available on the National History Day website and the 2019 Theme Book.

Get a copy of the Theme Narrative, and the Times, Tragedy, Triumph, and Transformation in the 4 T's Graphic Organizer, below.

Secondary sources will help you understand the background and context of your topic.  They can also have footnotes and bibliographies that can lead you to primary sources.  

How to find secondary sources:

• Go to your library and ask the friendly librarian to help you find books and articles in their library. Search the CSM catalog of books.
   
• Search in WorldCat--an online catalog of books in libraries around the world.
   
• If you find something interesting in WorldCat that your local library does not own, ask your librarian if they can borrow it for you through Interlibrary Loan.


• Search in databases of journal and magazine articles.  Maryland students can use the Collection of Southern Maryland's Online Services (COSMOS) from your public library for free.   

Be sure to find out the basic background about your topic before you start looking for primary sources.  Helpful things to know are:

• Who?:  Names of people or organizations
• What?: Events
• When?: Dates
• Where?: Important Locations 

Contact Us:

Email Us

 Visit the Library Website