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Research Guides

HPS318 History of Medicine I: Antiquity to the Renaissance (Winter 2020)

This guide is intended to assist students in the course as it is taught by Professor Lucia Dacome with TA Andrew Jones.

Looking for a translation?

Three ways to find primary sources:

  1. Start with what you already have: to uncover references to primary sources
  2. Use the library catalogue to find primary sources
  3. Browse or search reliable online collections, such as the ones in this research guide:

For a refresher on the difference between primary sources and secondary sources, click here.

1. Start with what you already have

The following may refer you to good primary sources on your topic. 

  • class notes
  • course readings
  • bibliographies/footnotes/endnotes of your textbook, journal articles, or other secondary sources
  • historical encyclopedias

They can also help you identify relevant historical figures authors, or keywords for searching library databases. 

2. Find books and other primary sources in the library catalogue

Combine keywords for different kinds of primary sources with keywords for your topic to find them in the library catalogue.

Primary source keywords

documents    sources
texts correspondence
facsimile pamphlets
personal narratives

early works
diaries   

interviews

Examples:

plague documents

medical botany early works

syphilis facsimile

anatomical plates

Sample Catalogue Searches for HPS318 Primary Sources at UTL

Plague Early Works  

Anatomy Early Works, limited to 16th Century

Hippocrates Author, limited to English Language

3. Major Over-Arching Collection of Primary Sources

Type your topic keywords into these major databases, and see what comes up. 

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