What is a primary source?
A primary source is something that was created and/or experienced at the time being studied. They provide a first-hand or eye witness account. Examples of primary sources include historical documents, artifacts, diaries or journals, speeches, oral histories, photos, newspaper clippings, letters, etc. Reproductions of primary sources (remember, we won't have the originals of some types of sources) can often be found in books, in databases, and online
photo credit: Massachusetts Historical Society
Primary sources also include original works, such as pieces of art, research and data, and creative writing. These, too, often be found in books, in databases, and online.
photo credit: Flickr; Wikipedia Commons
What's the Difference?
What is a Primary Source?
Primary Sources 101
Types of Primary Sources
There are many types of primary sources.
Literary or cultural sources
- novels, plays, poems
- television shows, movies, videos
- paintings, photographs
Accounts that describe events, people, or ideas
- interviews
- eyewitness accounts
- essays, speeches
- memoirs, diaries, letters
- government documents
Information about people
- census records
- obituaries
- newspaper articles
Information about places
- maps, atlases
- census information
- photographs
Objects
- clothing
- furniture
- artifacts
Empirical Works
- research articles
- clinical reports
- case studies
- original data
Adapted in part from University of Michigan Library
How to use Primary Sources in your wrirting
Now that you have a primary source, what do you do with it? Here are some helpful tips:
- Analyze the source
- Is there anything important or interesting about how it was produced? Sometimes HOW it is made is just as significant as the item itself.
- What was the purpose of the source?
- Who is the author or creator?
- What were the creator's motives? What was the message the creator wanted to convey? Was that message achieved?
- Who was the intended audience?
- Was it for someone specific? Was it for the masses?
- Consider the time period the source was created
- What was happening?
Also, consider how the source supports your research.