What is a primary source?
A primary source is a first-hand account or other evidence coming directly from an event. This might include letters, legal documents, speeches, diaries, interviews, data, and even video or audio recordings.
What is a secondary source?
These are sources that someone has created by engaging with the primary sources. Scholarly articles, nonfiction books, newspaper articles, and other interpretations are secondary sources.
How do I find a primary source?
Each situation will be different, but you may consider:
- Looking for materials written by a person that you're writing about, or by others that witnessed the events
- Looking for legal documents when appropriate.
- Searching for interviews with people connected to the events that you address in your paper
- Checking the bibliographies of secondary sources to see if they contain primary sources
- Searching online collections of archives or museums related to your topic, or reaching out to museum professionals if documents are not available online.
