The document provides guidance on researching primary sources for a Michigan History Day project. It recommends starting with secondary sources like libraries to identify keywords, then searching local historical societies, museums, archives and government sites for primary sources. It lists several credible online research sites that contain primary sources, like the Library of Congress and National Archives. The document also provides tips for evaluating website credibility and examples of good and poor online sources. It concludes by offering specific Michigan-focused online archives containing primary sources.

1. LOOKING FOR
SOURCES
Michigan History Day

2. Where do I start?
Take a look at
secondary sources.
Your library is the
best places to start!
List possible
keywords to use in
your search.
You’ll want to have
at least several.
Executive Order 9066

3. Where do I start searching for primary sources?
Local Historical
Societies
Museums
Historic Sites
The Local History Room at Your Library
Archives
National
Parks &
Memorials

4. Key Online Research Sites
The Library of Congress - www.loc.gov
The Smithsonian- www.si.edu
American Journeys - www.americanjourneys.org
The National Archives - www.nationalarchives.gov
Michigan eLibrary- www.mel.org

5. Our Documents - www.ourdocuments.gov
The National Park Service- www.nps.gov/index.htm
PBS- www.pbs.org
New York Public Library Digital Gallery-
digitalgallery.nypl.org/nypldigital/index.cfm
And for more research links, head to
www.hsmichigan.org/mhd/researchlinks/
Key Online Research Sites (cont.)

6. Online Research Sites for Michigan History
Seeking Michigan (www.seekingmichigan.org)
Explore Michigan’s past and present through a searchable collection of primary
sources.
Walter P. Reuther Library at Wayne State University -
dlxs.lib.wayne.edu/v/vmc/topic.html
Photographs of Detroit people, places, and events and Detroit News Newsreels
available online.
The Benson Ford Research Center, The Henry Ford -
www.hfmgv.org/research/index.aspx
Take a look at highlights of the Henry Ford’s collections. Mostly artifacts, but some
documents as well.
Civil War Collections at Michigan State University -
civilwar.archives.msu.edu/
Materials include hundreds of pages of correspondence, diaries, musters,
reminiscences, and photographs.

7.  Website is associated with a
credible organization such as a
museum or the government.
 Uses domain names such as
.gov, .mil, .edu, and sometimes
.org.
 Does not contain
advertisements.
 Lists its date of creation/last
update.
 Cites its sources.
 May not say who the website is
associated with. May be an
individual’s website.
 Uses domain names such as
.com.
 Contains quite a few
advertisements.
 Does not list a date for when
the site was last updated.
 Does not cite any of its sources.
Good Online Source Poor Online Source
http://www.mountvernon.org/meet-
george-washington
http://score.rims.k12.ca.us/activity/pre
sidentsday/index.html
EXAMPLE EXAMPLE

8. Source Note Cards
Brinkley Douglas. Rosa Parks: A Life. New York:
Penguin Books, 2000.
Notes: Detailed biography with information about
her early life. Checked out from the Ann Arbor
District Library.
Source in
MLA format
Description
of source

9. Before the Arrival of the Model T
“During the last year or two, great improvements have been
made in the building of autocarriages and the only problem
now remaining with the manufacturer is the question of
reducing the cost of construction.”
(“The Advent of the Automobile”, p.9)
Subject
Source
Taking Notes