Research: Primary Sources in IR and Political Science: News Media

How are newspaper accounts primary sources?

Newspapers reflect the time period in which they were created, and can provide details of events as well as a glimpse into public opinion.

Newspaper Databases

Single title subscriptions:

Boston Globe 1980+ This link opens in a new window Date coverage: 1980 - present. Searchable, current article text from the Boston Globe (no images, illustrations or charts included). For earlier editions use Boston Globe (ProQuest Historical Newspapers)
Boston Globe (1872-1988) (ProQuest Historical Newspapers) This link opens in a new window Date coverage: 1872 - 1988. Full-page images and article images (PDF) with searchable full text from the newspaper The Boston Globe and its title variants. NOTE: For 1988+ use
Boston Herald Historical and Current This link opens in a new window Explore Boston history through local news, events and people with Boston Herald Collection. Search current and archived issues with full-color newspaper pages, full-text articles and content only published online. Boston Herald Historical, 1848-1992, supported by the Boston University Humanities Library Endowment Fund.
Chicago Defender (1910-1975) (ProQuest Historical Newspapers) This link opens in a new window Date coverage: 1910-1975. Full-page images and article images (PDF) with searchable full text from the African American newspaper Chicago Defender under all its title variants.
Chicago Tribune (1849-1996) (ProQuest Historical Newspapers) This link opens in a new window Date coverage: 1849-1996. Full-page and article images (PDF) with searchable full text from the Chicago Tribune and all its title variants. NOTE: For 1997+ use Nexis Uni.

Harper’s Weekly 1857-1912 Harper's Weekly was the most widely read journal in the United States throughout the period of the Civil War, featuring serialized fiction of Dickens, Thackeray and others, as well as political cartoons of Thomas Nast,

Los Angeles Times (1881- 1995) (ProQuest Historical Newspapers) This link opens in a new window Date coverage: 1881 - 1995). Full-page images and article images (PDF) with searchable full text from the Los Angeles Times under all its title variants. NOTE: For 1996+ use Nexis Uni.
New York Times (1851- 2016) (ProQuest Historical Newspapers) This link opens in a new window Date coverage: 1851-2016. Full-page images and article images (PDF) with searchable full text of the New York Times back issues. Additions each year keep it within 3 years of the current year. NOTE: For 2016+ use Nexis Uni.
Times Digital Archive, 1785-2019 (London) This link opens in a new window
Date coverage: 1785 - 2019. An online archive of every headline, article, editorial, announcement, image and advertisement published in The Times (London) to 2019. Full page images and article images (PDF) with searchable full text. NOTE: For 2019+ use Nexis Uni.
Washington Post (1877- 2002) (ProQuest Historical Newspapers) This link opens in a new window Date coverage: 1877-2002. Full-page images and article images (PDF) with searchable full text from the Washington Post under all its title variants. NOTE: For 2003+ use Nexis Uni.

Databases (multiple titles):

Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers 1789-1963
Full-page images from the Library of Congress. Digital full text available from 1789-1924 for selected newspapers (coverage varies by title).

ProQuest Historical Newspapers This link opens in a new window
Full-page images with searchable full text from the following newspapers: Boston Globe; New York Times; Washington Post; Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, and Chicago Defender. See listing for each individual newspaper for date coverage and to search that publication separately.
America's Historical Newspapers This link opens in a new window
Fully searchable digital images of newspapers from 23 states and the District of Columbia.
***** NOTE: BU has only Early American Newspapers, Series I, 1690 -1876. The Boston Public Library has all 3 series (1690 - 1922) for on-site use.only.
17th-18th century Burney Collection Newspapers This link opens in a new window
The largest and most comprehensive collection of early English news media. Date coverage: 1604-1804.
American Jewish Newspapers This link opens in a new window American Jewish Newspapers provides scanned, searchable articles from four 19th and 20th century newspapers: The American Hebrew & Jewish Messenger (1857-1922); The Jewish Advocate (1905-1990); The American Israelite (1854-2000); and Jewish Exponent (1887-1990). Rights for use by Boston University community supported by the Ted Kyrios Memorial Book Fund.
Accessible Archives This link opens in a new window Eyewitness accounts of historical events, ads and genealogical records published in popular 19th century newspapers including African-American publications.
African Newspapers from the World Newspaper Archive This link opens in a new window This full-text, searchable collection of 19th and early 20th century African newspapers includes titles from the following countries: Angola, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Sao Tome & Principe, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Date coverage: 1831 to 1923.

African American newspapers (Accessible Archives) 1827-1902 Titles in the Collection: The Christian Recorder; The Colored American/Weekly Advocate; Frederick Douglass’ Paper Freedom’s Journal; The National Era; The North Star; Provincial Freeman.

American Periodicals This link opens in a new window
Not newspapers, but historically significant periodicals that were the news magazines of the time; periodicals published between 1740 and 1940, including special interest and general magazines.
American Antiquarian Society Historical Periodicals This link opens in a new window
Digitized images of American magazines published between 1684 and 1912. Covers history of slavery, literature, women's and religious issues, politics, culture, the arts and foreign language journals published in the U.S. Rights for use by Boston University community supported by the Boston University Humanities Library Endowed Fund.

Ethnic NewsWatch This link opens in a new window Full text articles from newspapers and periodicals published by ethnic, minority and native presses in the U.S. Includes both historic publications, starting in 1959, as well as current ones.

Google News Archives Image-based; random newspapers digitized by Google. (Google stopped digitizing newspapers in 2011.)

Nexis Uni This link opens in a new window Nexis Uni is a source for newspapers and magazines, trade journals, wire services and transcripts, as well as legal sources for federal and state cases and statutes, including U.S. Supreme Court decisions since 1790, and information on U.S. and international companies and executives.
Access World News This link opens in a new window Find full-text current and archived articles on issues, events, people, government and more. Includes local news, editorials, announcements and other sections from more than 10,000 sources.
Factiva This link opens in a new window Provides worldwide full text coverage of local and regional newspapers, trade publications, business newswires, press release wires, media transcripts, news photos, business-rich websites, investment analyst reports, market research reports, country and regional profiles, company profiles, historical market data. Date coverage varies by publication.

FBIS/ JPRS Transcripts

The Daily Report series of the Foreign Broadcasting Information Service (FBIS) contains transcripts of newspaper articles and news broadcasts from all regions of the world. The FBIS series was discontinued in 1996, when the online World News Connection database became available (no longer available).

NOTE: While BU does not have the Readex FBIS Database, Boston College does; and BU students may access it on-site in the O'Neill Library.

The FBIS news transcripts available in print and microfiche collections in Mugar Memorial Library are listed below.

Daily report. Asia & Pacific later title: East Asia). Mugar D839 .D342 Library has: 1984 - July 1987.
Daily report. East Asia [microform]. Mugar Micro Mfiche Library has: December 14, 1987 - August 30, 1996.
Daily report. China [microform]. Mugar Micro Mfiche Library has: 1987 - July 31, 1996.
Daily report. South Asia. Mugar D839 .D348 Library has: May 1980 - May 1987.
Daily report. Near East & South Asia [microform]. Mugar Micro Mfiche Library has: December 14, 1987 - August 16, 1996.
Daily report. Middle East and Africa. Mugar DS41 .U581 Library has: numbers 65 (April 1980) - 103 (May 1987).
Daily report. Sub-Saharan Africa. Mugar DT348 .U55M Library has: July 1974 - March 1980.
Daily report. Sub-Saharan Africa [microform]. Mugar Micro Mfiche Library has: June 1, 1987 - August 16, 1996.
Daily report. Eastern Europe (later title: East Europe). Mugar D839 .D344 Library has: 1981, 1983 - July 1987.
Daily report. East Europe [microform]. Mugar Micro Mfiche Library has: December 14, 1987 - August 30, 1996.
Daily report. West Europe [microform]. Mugar Micro Mfiche Library has: December 14, 1987 - August 16, 1996.
Daily report. Soviet Union. Mugar D839 .D349 Library has: November 1983 - July 1987.
Daily report. Soviet Union (later title: Central Eurasia). Mugar Micro Mfiche Library has: December 14, 1987 - September 13, 1996.
Daily report. Latin America [microform]. Mugar Micro Mfiche Library has: December 14, 1987 - July 31, 1996.

A list of the indexes to these regional FBIS microfiche collections follows.

Daily report. Asia & Pacific (later title: East Asia). Index. Mugar Micro Ref X D839 .D342 Library has: volume 1 (1978/79) - 18 (May 1996).
Daily report. People's Republic of China (later title: China). Index. Mugar Micro Ref X D839 .D343 Library has: volume 1 (1975) - 22 (1996).
Daily report. South Asia. Index. Mugar Micro Ref X D839 .D348 Library has: volume 1 (1980/81) - 8 (1986/87).
Daily report. Near East & South Asia. Index. Mugar Micro Ref X DS41 .D28 Library has: volume 1 (1987/88) - 10 (1996).
Daily report. Middle East & North Africa. Index. Mugar Micro Ref X D839 .D347 Library has: volume 1 (1978) - 2 (1980).
Daily report. Sub-Saharan Africa. Index. Mugar Micro Ref X D839 .D352 Library has: volume 1 (1978) - 2 (1980).
Daily report. Middle East & Africa. Index. Mugar Micro Ref X D839 .D346 Library has: volume 1 (1980/81) - 8 (1986/87).
Daily report. Sub-Saharan Africa. Index. Mugar Micro Ref X DT348 .U57 Library has volume 1 (1987/88) - 10 (1996).
Daily report. Eastern Europe (later title: East Europe). Index. Mugar Micro Ref X D839 .D344 Library has: volume 1 (1978/79) - 18 (1996).
Daily report. Western Europe (later title: West Europe). Index. Mugar Micro Ref X D839 .D353 Library has: volume 1 (1978/79) - 18 (1996).
Daily report. Soviet Union (later title: Central Eurasia). Index. Mugar Micro Ref X D839 .D349 Library has: volume 1 (1977) - 20 (1996).
Daily report. Latin America. Index Mugar Micro Ref X D839 .D345 Library has: volume 1 (1979) - 18 (1996).

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The Joint Publications Research Service (JPRS) was a United States government defense-funded organization that was absorbed into the Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS). Dates of operation approx. 1958-1976.

Index to Readex microprint edition of JPRS reports (Joint Publications Research Service) 1958-1976
Location: Mugar Microform Reference (basement) AS36 .I53M
An index correlating the JPRS report numbers, with the numerical entry numbers of the Monthly catalog of United States Government publications.