"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:
Primary vs. Secondary Sources, created by the Minnesota Historical Society (YouTube video)
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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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To search for primary sources in the library catalog, type your subject terms and then add primary source terms such as:
Examples:
If the person you are researching has written any books on their views or life (autobiography), try an author search.
Author Examples:
Abolitionists Remember: Antislavery Autobiographies & the Unfinished Work of Emancipation
by
Revolution in Black and White: Photographs of the Civil Rights Era by Ernest C. Withers
by
The Slaves' War: The Civil War in the Words of Former Slaves
by
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)
