A primary source is a document or physical object which was written or created during the time under study. These sources were present during an experience or time period and offer an inside view of a particular event. Some types of primary sources include:
A secondary source interprets and analyzes primary sources. These sources are one or more steps removed from the event. Secondary sources may have pictures, quotes or graphics of primary sources in them. Some types of seconday sources include:
Examples of secondary sources include:
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Primary Sources
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Secondary Sources
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| Original works of literature, art, music | Criticism of original work |
| Newspaper accounts of events, by someone on the scene | Newspaper editorial |
| Diary, autobiography, letters, oral testimony | Biography |
| Historical documents, such as laws or treaties | Historical commentary |
| Television show or motion picture | Review |
| Raw data from questionnaires | Social science article based on another's data |
| Observation/experiment | Scientific article based on another's experiment |
You can search the Web Catalog to find direct references to primary source material. Perform a keyword search for your topic and add one of the words below:
(these are several examples of words that would identify a source as primary)
Primary Sources on the Web
Here are several important digitized collections of primary sources on the Web:
Library of Congress American Memory Collection
Early California Population Project (ECPP)
New York Public Library Digital Collection