Primary sources can be found in:
For helpful tips on how to make effective use of primary sources, check out the "Making Sense of Evidence" website.
For even more information on using, finding, and evaluating primary sources on the web, click here.
To find published primary sources, add the following terms to your keyword searches with the word AND:
sources
documents
diaries
personal narratives
public records
letters or correspondence
archives
speeches
oratory
manuscripts
pamphlets
Examples:
Egypt AND documents
Lincoln AND oratory
A primary source is a document or a physical object that was written or created during the time under study by witnesses who experienced the event or condition first-hand.
Primary sources are the raw materials of history and include items such as diaries, speeches, manuscripts, letters, interviews, news film footage, official records, autobiographies. Primary sources can also include creative works (poetry, drama, novels, art) or relics and artifacts (pottery, clothing, buildings, furniture).
The Internet History Sourcebooks Project is a collection of public domain and copy-permitted historical texts presented cleanly (without advertising or excessive layout) for educational use.
Secondary sources interpret and analyze primary sources and are one or more steps removed from the event that is being reported. Examples include journal articles, which interpret or review previous findings; textbooks, criticisms; encyclopedias; commentaries.
ArtStor is a repository of hundreds of thousands of digital images and related data. Digital collections can be browsed by geographic region or by categories that include art, architecture, fashion, photography, maps, charts, manuscripts, and more. Off-campus login required.