Research Guides: East Asian Studies: Primary Sources

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Primary Source Timeline

See our Primary Source Timeline to browse a selection of primary source databases organized by coverage dates and locations.

Primary Sources

Primary sources are generally defined as material produced at the time of an event, or by a person being studied. Examples of primary sources are:

personal and professional correspondence
professional papers
diaries and memoirs
manuscripts
political documents
photographs and other images
works of art and literature
artifacts
speeches
autobiographies
interviews and oral histories
newspapers and magazine articles when written at the time of an event

Whenever possible, primary sources should be consulted. The thoughts of those who lived through an era or an event provide you with first-hand perspective and allow you to question and challenge the assumptions made in secondary sources. Examining primary sources can also help you develop a thesis.

Primary sources can be difficult to find. Most databases do not have an option that allows for direct searching on primary sources. They are often interspersed in books or disorganized in large collections of materials.

Detailed information about how to locate primary sources can be found on our Finding Primary Sources page.

The databases below are also collections of primary source material useful for East Asian Studies.

Primary Sources in Chinese Studies

Tiananmen Square and U.S.-China Relations, 1989-1993 (Archives Unbound) This link opens in a new window
Access primary source documents that review U.S.-China relations in the post-Cold War Era, and analyze the significance of the 1989 Tiananmen Square demonstrations, China's human rights issues, and resumption of World Bank loans to China in July 1990. This collection is cross-searchable with other collections via Gale Primary Sources. Coverage: 1989-1993, contains primary sources. Full text.

Chinese Memory from the National Library of China
Digitized primary source materials from the National Library of China.
Modern China Studies
Collection of about 40 documents, most published between 1912 and 1950s. Not searchable.
Chinese Text Initiative
Five Chinese texts digitized by University of Virginia. Texts date from Han to Ming dynasties.

Historical Chinese Newspapers This link opens in a new window
Access English-language newspapers published in China for first-hand accounts of the politics, society and events of the time. This collection is part of Historical Newspapers. Coverage: 1832-1953, contains primary sources. Full text. This purchase was made possible through a bequest of Eleanor Cogan (Honorary Doctor of Liberal Arts, 2003), library volunteer and longtime friend of the college.
Chinese Civil War & US-China Relations: Records Of US State Dept Office Chinese Affairs (Archives Unbound) This link opens in a new window
Access declassified records of the U.S. State Department's Office of Chinese Affairs that provide insight into United States policy toward China from 1945-1955, especially domestic issues in Communist and Nationalist China, U.S. containment policy as it was extended to Asia, and Sino-American relations during the post-war period. This collection is cross-searchable with other collections via Gale Primary Sources. Coverage: 1945-1955, contains primary sources. Full text.
General George C. Marshall's Mission to China: 1945-1947 (Archives Unbound) This link opens in a new window
Access primary sources relating to General George C. Marshall's mission to prevent the renewal of the Chinese civil war and the growth of Soviet influence. This collection includes War Department records, records of the Marshall Mission relating to Political Affairs, records of the Marshall Mission relating to Military Affairs, records of the Division of Chinese Affairs, records of John Carter Vincent, and Marshall's report. This collection is cross-searchable with other collections via Gale Primary Sources. Coverage: 1945-1947, contains primary sources. Full text.

Primary Sources in Japanese Studies

Electronic Library at the National Diet Library
Various databases contain primary sources from pre-modern eras.

Japan at War and Peace, 1930-1949: U.S. State Department Records on the Internal Affairs of Japan (Archives Unbound) This link opens in a new window
Access documents on topics relating to Japanese internal affairs in the 1930s and during World War II, including: politics, the rise of Bolshevism and radicalism, militarism, the Sino-Japanese war, trade and tariffs, social control, labor development and unrest, emigration, war, military, armament, economics, industry, trade, and the affects of the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima. This collection is cross-searchable with other collections via Gale Primary Sources. Coverage: 1930-1949, contains primary sources. Full text.

Aozora Bunko
Japanese public domain texts.
Japanese Law Translation
Unofficial translations of Japanese law.

Japan Times Digital Archive This link opens in a new window
Access issues of The Japan Times, a daily newspaper reported in English on various aspects of Japanese society. Coverage: 1897-2020, contains primary sources. Full text.

Waidner-Spahr Library

East Asian Studies: Primary Sources

Library Catalog

Primary Source Timeline

Primary Sources

Primary Sources in Chinese Studies

Primary Sources in Japanese Studies