HIST 433 - British Queer History

Secondary Sources

Books

• McGill Library Classic Catalogue
  1. Search for keywords that describe your topic. Example: lesbian* history "great britain"
  2. Examine the subject headings of books that seem most relevant, and use them to find others on the same topic.
• McGill WorldCat Catalogue
  • To find books in other libraries, select "Libraries Worldwide" and follow the same steps as above.
  • For information on interlibrary loans, see this page

Articles

• Historical Abstracts
• Bibliography of British and Irish History
• British Humanities Index
• Proquest Dissertations & Theses
• Gender Studies Database
• Gender Watch
• Alternative Press Index

Primary Sources

Secondary sources are often the best places to find primary sources. Take a look at the bibliography of the books and articles on your topic, which will point you to useful and important documents from the period you are studying. The author will likely have done a considerable amount of legwork already.

Guides

• Gay and Lesbian History Guide (The National Archives)

Newspapers

• Gale Newsvault

Government Documents

• House of Commons Parliamentary Papers
• Old Bailey Proceedings
• Cabinet Papers
• JUSTIS

Diaries and Letters

• British and Irish Women's Letters and Diaries
• In the catalogue, use the following terms along with a person's name or relevant keywords:
  • Correspondence
  • Diaries
  • Personal narratives
  • Sources

Databases

• Mass Observation
  • Contains "Little Kinsey" and "A British Sex Survey"
• Defining Gender, 1450-1910