"Primary sources are materials produced by people or groups directly involved in the event or topic under consideration, either as participants or as witnesses."
Quoted from:A Pocket Guide to Writing History, 5th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2007
Examples of primary sources, both print and online, include:
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Primary Sources: Materials which have not been interpreted by another person. Original documents or works of art created at or near the time an event occurred. Primary sources provide first hand accounts of experiences or events. Information is generally presented in its original form, whether it be a work of literature or art, or an account of an event or experience, or original documents or research products such as interviews, speeches, questionnaires, letters, diaries, manuscripts, memoirs, etc. Includes books, periodicals, and web sites.
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Secondary Sources: Secondary sources provide second hand accounts of events. These sources include materials that have been reported, analyzed, or interpreted by people who do not have firsthand knowledge of an event and may be found in books or periodicals, or on web sites.
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Elite Confederate Women in the American Civil War
Flight Surgeon: A War Diary, 1941-1945
The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11
Unsung: Unheralded Narratives of American Slavery & Abolition
Voices from the Pandemic: Americans Tell Their Stories of Crisis, Courage and ResilienceTo search for primary sources in Reynolds Libraries catalog, try subject terms such as:
Subject term Examples:
If the person you are researching has written any books on their views or life (autobiography), try an author search in the catalog.
Author Examples:
Comprehensive scholarly, multi-disciplinary full-text database containing journal, magazine and newspaper articles. (Full text)
Covers both U.S. & world history. Provides background information on specific events throughout history; pro/con articles that cover all sides of specific events/issues in history; historical timelines and primary sources. (Full text)
**For getting started tips on how to search these databases for primary sources, check out our Finding Primary Sources in Library Catalog & Databases guide**
