Primary and Secondary Sources

Primary Sources are contemporary accounts of an event, written by someone who experienced or witnessed the event in question. These original documents  provide direct or firsthand evidence about an event, object, person, or work of art. 

Secondary Sources  are produced sometime after an event has happend and contain information that has been interpreted, analyzed, or processed. They are often based on primary sources. Examples include: history textbooks, interpetive journal articles, book reviews.
fact_sheet.pdf
File Size: 62 kb
File Type: pdf
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source_analysis.pdf
File Size: 50 kb
File Type: pdf
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practice_ex.pdf
File Size: 47 kb
File Type: pdf
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handout.pdf
File Size: 72 kb
File Type: pdf
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Primary Sources on the Web: Finding, Evaluating, Using (ALA)

Searching for Primary Sources

Search Tips

  • Choose a relevant database or digital collection to search.
  • Enter relevant keywords.
  • If possible, limit search by publication date and format (eg. book review, photographs). Many databases have this option.
  • Consult a librarian for recommended databases and resources.       
                                                                                               Example Searches
                                                                   Use search terms for names, events, topics , or document types.

Document Collections     
feminism AND history AND sources
Vietnam AND foreign relations AND archives

Speeches
Stephen Harper AND speeches
African American AND racism AND speeches

Interviews, personal accounts, and letters
rap musicians AND interviews
working class women AND diaries
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Film and documentaries
documentary films AND sports
biographical films AND Nelson Mandela

Art and photographs
Impressionism AND Monet AND paintings
World War II AND Hitler AND photographs