Research Techniques

Talking to Scholars or Other Experts

Talking to people who have already done work in the field of interest is another way of locating relevant primary sources. Within their area of specialization, these experts are apt to be familiar with a majority of the material written about a given topic as well as the major collections of primary sources that support their research.

If you are a student, one of the most accessible sources should be your professor. But an expert can also be other professors at other institutions, renown historians, or the author of a book or article on a certain topic. The University of Maryland, for example, maintains a list of University of Maryland Experts on a variety of topics on its website.

An expert can also be an eyewitness to an event or experience. For example, important research on the Holocaust has been conducted by interviewing survivors.