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Research Guide: Primary Sources

What are primary sources?

Primary sources are those materials that were created during the time period that you are investigating.  These sources are a great way to get an inside view or develop a deeper understanding of what was occuring at that time.  Examples of primary sources may include documents such as diaries and news film footage.  Creative works (like pottery and music) can also be primary sources.  Finally, an artifact such as a building can also be considered a primary source.  

In addition to primary sources, there are also secondary sources you may come across in your research investigation. 

A secondary source interprets and analyzes primary sources. These sources are one or more steps removed from the event. Secondary sources may have pictures, quotes or graphics of primary sources in them and may include textbooks, magazine articles, and encyclopedias.

Finding primary sources on the web

There are several things you can do to find primary sources on the web.

Consult major collections of primary sources
The following reputable sites link to thousands of primary sources.  

  • American Memory: Historical Collections for the National Digital Library
    [http://memory.loc.gov/]
  • Avalon Project: Documents in Law, History and Diplomacy
    [http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/avalon.htm]
  • EuroDocs: Western European Primary Historical Documents
    [http://eudocs.lib.byu.edu/]
  • Gallica: Digital Library of the National Library of France
    [http://gallica.bnf.fr/]
  • Making of America: 19th c. books and magazines
    [http://moa.umdl.umich.edu/]

Browse a history subject directory
Subject directories are useful when you are interested in seeing a broad variety of sources on your topic. Some subject directories include annotations and evaluations of sites. Useful subject directories for history include:  

Use a search engine
Search engines are useful when you are researching a narrow topic or trying to locate a specific document. When searching, use specific terms rather than broad terms. For example search for the “emancipation proclamation” not just “slavery,” search for the “battle of chancellorsville” not “civil war.” Some popular search engines are:

Get recommendations from your teacher or librarian
Many libraries compile lists of recommended history sites. Some examples include:  

Finding photographs and other non-text sources
Going to a major collection of photographs is the best way to find a historic image. Also, use a search engine to try a topic search, such “Eiffel Tower” or “Chingis Khan” or “Van Gogh and wheat fields” to find photos, drawings or reproductions of paintings. Some major collections include: