This guide is a starting point for students with research assignments requiring primary sources.
Image source: Seattle Central College Library CC BY SA 4.0
What are primary sources? Primary sources are original records and items that have survived from the past; they provide information that helps us interpret and understand history. Sources are considered primary on the basis of their content, even if one views a digital copy rather than an original. Some examples of primary sources are:
Written Documents
Ex: Books, newspapers, maps, posters, diaries, government documents, court decisions, letters, and journals
Artifacts
Ex: clothing, tools, inventions
Visual Documents
Ex: photographs, films, paintings
Oral recordings
Ex: speeches, interviews
Note: Many subject encyclopedias include primary documents, either in the appendices or within chapters. For examples, in Reference, see Encyclopedia of Women in American Politics HQ1236.5.U6 E53 1999 and Encyclopedia of American History, E174.E53 2003.
