Primary sources are original material from the time of the topic under investigation. Often, these are accounts by someone who experienced the topic first-hand. They do not generally include commentary, interpretation, or evaluation of the topic by someone critiquing the topic from a historical perspective.
Primary Source: In the eye of the storm : growing up Jewish in Germany, 1918-1943: a memoir by Herbert A. Strauss
Not a Primary Source: Nazi Germany and the Jews by Saul Friedländer
How to begin a search for primary sources
1. Familiarize yourself with the topic. Begin by identifying the major people, organizations, concepts or places associated with the topic. Often this can be done by using an encyclopedia, factbook, or other reference source (see secondary sources section).
2. Familiarize yourself with common words used to identify primary sources in the library's catalog. See the box below:
Examples of Primary Sources | |||
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Annual reports |
Eye-witness accounts |
Memoranda (Memos) |
Photographs |
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Autobiographies |
Financial reports |
Membership lists |
Proclamations |
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Birth/Death certificates |
Interviews |
Naturalization papers |
Raw data |
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Census reports |
Hearings |
Newspaper articles* |
Sources |
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Correspondence |
Letters |
Newsletters |
Speeches |
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Court cases |
Marriage records |
Original works (art, literature) |
Statutes |
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Diary/Journal |
Meeting minutes |
Personal narratives |
Tax reports |
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Memoirs |
Personal accounts |
Town reports |
3. Use a keyword search strategy to find items related to your topic in the catalog.
Topic:
The Watergate Scandal of the Presidency of Richard M. NixonSearch terms:
Watergate and hearing*
Nixon and Watergate and speech*
Nixon and tape*Caution! Some primary source keywords will include fictional sources. Be sure to review each source individually to determine if it is a fictional account.
Example: diary and jones = Bridget Jones' Diary (fiction)
Example: memoir and japan* = Memoirs of a Geisha (fiction)
Secondary sources analyze, interpret, and evaluate primary sources. The authors of these items provide a commentary about the events/people/concepts with the benefit of hindsight. Many times secondary sources are persuasive or argumentative in nature.
Examples of Secondary Sources | |
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Almanacs |
Dissertation |
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Bibliographies |
Encyclopedias |
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Biographies |
Histories |
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Books |
Journal/Magazine/Newspaper articles* |
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Commentaries |
Reference books |
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Critical studies/Criticism |
Textbooks |
*Newspaper articles can be either a primary or a secondary source. For example, when a newspaper article initially reports on an event, the newspaper serves as a primary source. When a newspaper article reflects back on an event, it is a secondary source.
Example: The April 16th, 1912 New York Times articles that report the sinking of the Titanic on April 15th, 1912 are primary sources.
The April 15th, 1962 New York Times article that examines the sinking of the Titanic in honor of the 50th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic would be a secondary source.