Primary Sources

“ original records created at the time historical events occurred or well after events in the form of memoirs and oral histories.” Recorded by people who were: – Involved in the event – Witnessed the event, OR – Knew the persons involved in the event Source: American Library Association, Reference and User Services Association

They can also be objects (artifacts) or visual evidence. They give you an idea about what people alive at the time saw or thought about the event. What are primary sources?

Keep in mind that a primary source reflects only one point of view and may contain a person’s bias (prejudice) toward an event. What are primary sources?

Primary Sources - Diaries The diary of President Ronald Reagan which provides a first-hand account of the 40 th President of the United States term in office. Source: Reagan Presidential Library

Primary Sources - Interviews ABC News’ Diane Sawyer’s interview with President Obama on the 2012 Presidential Election. Source: ABC News

Primary Sources - Letters Abraham Lincoln’s letter to General Sherman on December 26 th, 1864 congratulating Sherman on the capture of the city of Savannah. Source: Library of Congress

Primary Sources – Raw Data Measurements of Hurricane Sandy – October 25, 2012 Source: NOAA.gov

Primary Sources – Official Documents The United States Declaration of Independence Source: National Archives

Primary Sources – Legislation & Court Records The 26 th Amendment to the Constitution guarantees the Right to Vote for 18 year olds. Source: archives.gov

Primary Sources - Photographs Satellite Image of Chesapeake Bay Source: NASA

Primary Sources – Journal Articles The New England Journal of Medicine - reports the findings of original research, and are written by the researchers themselves Source: nejrn.org

Primary Sources – Newspaper Articles An article from The Washington Post describing the damage caused by Hurricane Sandy Source: washingtonpost.co m

Primary Sources - Autobiographies The Story of My Experiments with Truth by M.K. Gandhi…details in his own words the Indian Nationalist’s struggles and inspiration for India’s independence from Britain.

Primary Sources - Speeches JFK’s speech to the nation about the Cuban Missile Crisis, October 22, 1962 Source: jfklibrary.orgjfklibrary.org

Primary Sources – Creative Works (novels, plays, music, art) Paul McCartney’s original handwritten lyrics to the Beatles song “Hey Jude” Source: news.bbc.co.uk

What are secondary sources? Secondary sources are made at a later time. They include written information by historians or others AFTER an event has taken place.

What are secondary sources? Although they can be useful and reliable, they cannot reflect what people who lived at the time thought or felt about the event. But they can represent a more fair account of the event because they can include more than one point of view, or may include information that was unavailable at the time of the event.

Examples of secondary sources: Textbooks, biographies, histories, newspaper report by someone who was not present

Examples of secondary sources: Charts, graphs, or images created AFTER the time period.

Primary or Secondary Source? A letter written by an ordinary person describing their experience of an event. This and all quiz questions from Windward Community College Library, Hawaii

Primary or Secondary Source? A newspaper article reporting on events that took place the day before the article was published.

Primary or Secondary Source? Information sources such as raw data and articles that report on original research.

Primary or Secondary Source? A magazine article in which a staff reporter provides an overview of a topic, including a summary of recent developments in research related to the subject.

Primary or Secondary Source? An interview with your grandfather about your great-grandfather's childhood. Quiz question from University of Massachusetts Library

Primary or Secondary Source? A chart from a government agency's website, showing statistical data it gathered.

Primary or Secondary Source? Photograph of Gettysburg, 1863

Primary or Secondary Source? Photograph of Gettysburg, present day

Primary or Secondary Source? The Handbook of Texas Online

Wikipedia - Tips Do NOT use Wikipedia as either a Primary or Secondary source in your research. Use Wikipedia as a starting point for your research and as a way to locate actual Primary and Secondary sources.

Wikipedia

Cite Those Sources!

Where To Find Primary Sources