Research Guides: Political Science: Primary Sources &amp; Digitized Collections

Primary Sources & Digitized Collections

UBC Library provides access to many digitized collections of primary sources. These collections cover a very wide range of topics, all of which contain relevant content to studying politics and power from a multitude of theoretical perspectives. These collections have unique ways to search and browse through the content, often replicating the way they were organized when first collected. The list of collections below is organized alphabetically and focuses on the relevant collections that UBC Library has licensed access to. However, there are also many digitized collections that are freely available online and contain relevant primary source material. When searching online, using the phrases "primary source" or "primary document" in combination with the topic you are researching can return great results. An excellent example of freely available collections is the Avalon Project from Yale University.

Aluka (African Cultural Heritage/Struggles for Freedom) This link opens in a new window
Digital library of scholarly resources from and about Africa. There are currently two content areas: African Cultural Heritage Sites and Landscapes, and Struggles for Freedom in Southern Africa.
Black Thought and Culture This link opens in a new window
Contains 1,297 sources with 1,098 authors, covering the non-fiction published works of leading African Americans.Includes interviews, journal articles, speeches, essays, pamplets, letters & other fugitive material.
Canada Year Book Historical Collection 1867-1967 This link opens in a new window
The Canada Year Book Historical Collection 1867 to 1967: historical text, tables and maps on Canadian society, events, and the economy: population, industry, trade, immigration, labour, transportation, government, etc.
China: Trade, Politics and Culture 1793-1980 This link opens in a new window
Includes a wide variety of original source material detailing China's interaction with the West from Macartney's first Embassy to China in 1793, through to the Nixon/Heath visits to China in 1972-74.
Confidential print: Africa, 1834-1966 This link opens in a new window
Foreign and Colonial Office documents concerning Africa
Confidential Print: Latin America, 1833-1969 This link opens in a new window
Foreign and Colonial Office documents concerning Latin America.
Confidential Print: Middle East, c1839-1969 This link opens in a new window
Foreign and Colonial Office documents relating to the Middle East
Confidential Print: North America, 1824-1961 This link opens in a new window
Foreign and Colonial Office documents relating to Canada, the Caribbean and the United States.
Declassified Documents Reference System This link opens in a new window
Provides online access to more than 500,000 pages of previously classified US government documents.
Access is available to all residents within British Columbia via the Points to the Past Portal.
Digital National Security Archive This link opens in a new window
The DNSA is the most comprehensive collection of primary documents central to U.S. foreign and military policy since 1945. Over 94,000 declassified documents - more than 650,000 pages - are included.
Economist Historical Archive This link opens in a new window
Includes every issue of The Economist from 1843 to 2008.
Access is available to all residents within British Columbia via the Points to the Past Portal.
English Historical Documents Online This link opens in a new window
The online equivalent of the print English historical documents, published under the editorship of David C. Douglas, the first volume appearing in 1953. Covers political and constitutional topics as well as economic, social, cultural and religious history. Includes Merrill Jensen's American colonial documents to 1776.

Each section of documents and many of the documents themselves are accompanied by editorial commentary.
Foreign Office Files for China, 1919-1980 This link opens in a new window
The complete British Foreign Office Files for the period concerning China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Access open only to UBC students, faculty, staff and on-site Library users (other restrictions may apply)Permitted Uses Research or Private Study? Yes Linking? Yes Learning Management System? Yes Printed Course Packs? No.
Foreign Office Files for India, Pakistan and Afghanistan, 1947 - 1980 This link opens in a new window
An outstanding resource for the political and social history of India, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Frontier Life: Borderlands, Settlement & Colonial Encounters This link opens in a new window
Digitized primary source materials documenting the relationships and interactions
between European settlers and indigenous peoples. Includes material from repositories in N. America, Africa, Australia and New Zealand.
House of Commons Parliamentary Papers (U.K.) This link opens in a new window
The House of Commons Parliamentary Papers are working documents of government. The collection has over 200,000 papers plus Hansard, both starting in 1801. For more information, consult the HCCP Guide.
Illustrated London News Historical Archive, 1842-2003 This link opens in a new window
The world's first fully-illustrated weekly newspaper presented in a fully-searchable digital format.
Legal Classics Library (via HeinOnline e-Books) This link opens in a new window
Contains more than 1,200 works throughout legal history. Includes rare items, this collection focuses on constitutional law, political science, and other classic topics.
Macmillan Cabinet Papers, 1957-1963 This link opens in a new window
Documents from the highest level of the British Government during the Macmillan Administration.
Nineteenth Century British Pamphlets This link opens in a new window
Contains the most significant British pamphlets from the 19th century held in UK research libraries.
North China Herald This link opens in a new window
The English-language North China Herald is the prime printed source in any language for the history of the foreign presence in China from around 1850 to 1940s.
Past Masters This link opens in a new window
Electronic editions of major philosophical works as well as significant works in political thought, religious studies, sociology, the history of science, economics, literature and classics.
Proquest Historical Newspapers: Globe and Mail This link opens in a new window
Electronic full-page newspaper archive from June 1844 to 3 years ago.
Rock and Roll, Counterculture, Peace and Protest This link opens in a new window
Politics, youth culture, music, fashion and other phenomena of the post-world war. Britain and America from 1950-1975.
Sabin Americana, 1500-1926 This link opens in a new window
A collection of pamphlets, tracts, memoirs, congressional legislation, correspondence, broadsides, biographies, histories, fiction and poetry, eulogies, sermons and other published material relating to the Americas.
Access is also available to all residents within British Columbia via the Points to the Past Portal HERE.
Sixties : Primary Documents and Personal Narratives, 1960 to 1974 This link opens in a new window
Primary sources for the study of the history, culture and politics of America in the 'sixties.
Socialism on Film: The Cold War and International Propaganda This link opens in a new window
Comprised of nine sub-categories – including Lenin & the Russian Revolution, Nuclear War & Peace Movements, The Second World War & the Rise of Fascism, and Revolution, War, Conflict in China & Korea – this module turns a lens on political upheaval across Europe, Asia and Central America, digitising rare footage which relates to the Vietnam War, the Cuban Revolution, nuclear weapons and growing demands for peace.

The films in the collection have been conserved and digitised from the original 16mm and 35mm reels. They are fully transcribed and searchable.
South China Morning Post This link opens in a new window
The South China Morning Post - an English language newspaper published in Hong Kong - is renowned for its authoritative and influential reporting on Hong Kong, China and all of Asia. It is highly regarded by researchers because of the unique history of Hong Kong as well as the newspaper’s editorial perspective on Imperial Japan and Communist China. With searchable, full text coverage from South China Morning Post’s origin in 1903 up to and including 1997, users will be able to search the entirety of the newspaper including advertisements, editorials, cartoons, and photographs that illuminate history as much as the news articles.
Twentieth Century North American Drama This link opens in a new window
Contains 2,000 plays from the United States and Canada. In addition the collection offers a unique window into the economic, historical, social, and political psyche of two countries.
UN iLibrary This link opens in a new window
The UN iLibrary is the comprehensive global search, discovery, and viewing source for digital content created by the United Nations.
United Nations iLibrary This link opens in a new window
Access publications, journals, data, and series published by the United Nations Secretariat, and its funds and programs.
United Nations Official Documents (ODS) This link opens in a new window
Covers all types of official UN documentation, beginning in 1993. Provides access to the resolutions of the General Assembly, Security Council, Economic and Social Council and the Trusteeship Council from 1946 onwards
United Nations Treaty Collection This link opens in a new window
Collection of United Nations treaties and associated material.
Yearbook of International Organizations This link opens in a new window
The Yearbook of International Organizations includes detailed information on over 37,000 active and 32,000 dormant international organizations from 300 countries and territories.
Yearbook of the United Nations 1946-2007 This link opens in a new window
The principal reference work of the United Nations, with a detailed description of activities in all areas from 1946. Each Yearbook is fully indexed and includes all resolutions and citations to original U.N. texts.
Chatham House online archive This link opens in a new window
The publications and archives of the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House). Includes analysis and research originating in the Institute as well as the transcripts of debates and speeches it sponsored.