HIST 35203: Modern China

Books, articles, and other library resources for students in Modern China.

What are digital primary sources?

Digital Primary Sources

  • Primary sources can be in both digital and analog format.
  • Digital primary sources are often surrogates or copies of original materials.
  • Not all primary sources are digitized.
  • Most original archival materials still have to be accessed at specific locations.

 

Tips on Evaluating Digital Sources

Tips for Evaluating Digital Materials

  • Look for websites with a non-biased, balanced approach to presenting sources.
  • Try and determine who is responsible for the site.
  • The website address or the Uniform Resource Locator (URL) may provide a clue.
  • Look for the 3-letter domain code of the website address to determine who maintains the site.
  • Common domain names include: .gov (U.S. government site); .org (organization or association site); .com (commercial site); or .net (personal site).
  • Look for credentials, contact addresses, and an "about" link.
  • The most reliable websites clearly state the source of original materials.
  • Beware of transcriptions when they are not linked to a digitized image of the original source document..