Research Guide to History 290 - The
Historical Imagination
Using Primary Sources
Primary vs. Secondary Sources
Primary sources are produced by those directly
involved in an event or topic under consideration. They reflect
the viewpoint of a participant or observer. They allow
you to form your own interpretation – you are not
relying on secondary analysis of another historian. **
Examples:
- Eyewitness accounts
- Letters and diaries
- Speeches
- Interviews
- Manuscripts and papers
- Newspapers, magazines
Secondary sources are works that interpret or
analyze an historical event or phenomenon. They might be written
during the event time period, or later. **
Examples:
- Encyclopedia entries
- Textbooks
- Other books
- Journal articles
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Finding Primary Sources
Newspapers and magazines
Newspaper and magazine articles written at the time of a particular
event can be considered primary sources. For older topics, printed
indexes will need to be used to locate citations to articles.
Examples include:
- International Index to Periodicals
Ref. AI3 .R49
1907 - present
- Reader’s Guide to Periodical Literature
Ref. AI3 .R48
1900 - 1983
- Essay and General Literature Index
Ref. AI3 .E752
1900 - 1983
- New York Times Index
Ref. AI21 .N44
1930 - 1995
For current newspaper articles in full-text online:
For current or more recent magazine articles (some in full-text online):
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Primary sources in books
To find diaries, personal accounts, collections etc. published in books,
try pairing keywords or subject headings with these specific subheadings:
- correspondence
- diaries
- interviews
- personal narratives
- sources
- oral history
Sample search in SOPHIA -
women and (s:diaries) - that shows use of a subheading
in a keyword search. Note the search tips on the keyword search screen
for specifying fields to search.
Sample match to the search. Note the term diaries in
the subject headings field.
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Documents and Images on the Web
Primary sources of all kinds can be found on the web, including documents,
letters, maps, photographs and more.
- American Memory Collections
"Gateway to rich primary source materials relating to the history
and culture of the United States."
- America
Women's History: A Research Guide "American Women's
History provides citations to print and Internet reference sources,
as well as to selected large primary source collections. The guide also
provides information about the tools researchers can use to find additional
books, articles, dissertations, and primary sources."
(One of the Best Free Reference Web Sites (2004) - Reference and User
Services Association of the American Library Association.)
- Avalon Project
at Yale Law School
"Primary source materials in the fields of Law, History, Economics,
Politics, Diplomacy and Government."
- Digital
Library of Georgia
"Digitized books, newspapers, images, manuscripts and media with
an emphasis on material important to the history and culture of the
state of Georgia"
- Documenting the American South
"A collection of sources on Southern history, literature and culture
from the colonial period through the first decades of the 20th century."
- EuroDocs
"Primary historical documents from Western Europe - selected transcriptions,
facsimiles and translations."
- Making of America
"Digital library of primary sources in American social history
from the antebellum period through reconstruction. The collection is
particularly strong in the subject areas of education, psychology, American
history, sociology, religion, and science and technology."
- NARA Archival
Research Catalog
"Online catalog of NARA's nationwide holdings in the Washington,
DC area, Regional Archives and Presidential Libraries." Includes
digital copies of many materials online.
- Open Collections Program at
Harvard University: includes digital collections related to working
women in the 19th century, immigration in the U.S., diseases and epidemics,
and Islamic heritage
- WWI Document Archive
"Archive of primary documents from World War I" - mostly transcriptions.
- David Rumsey Map Collection
"Rare 18th and 19th century North and South America maps and other
cartographic materials."
- Digital Librarian:
Images
Extensive collection of links to websites with image collections.
- Hargrett
Library Rare Map Collection
- Images from the History of Medicine
- Perry-Castañeda
Library Map Collection
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Archives
Primary sources can be found in archives and special collections in local
libraries.
ArchivesUSA
database 
allows searching for primary source materials in archives throughout the
United States. Many of these collections include online components. Web
addresses of these archives are included.
** Definitions
and examples from Rampolla, Mary Lynn. Pocket Guide to Writing in
History. 3rd edition. Boston: bedford/St. Martin's, 2001.
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