Shared Voices | C. Edler

To find primary source material for your topic, try adding one of the keywords below:

The definition of a primary source depends upon the discipline and on how one is using the source.

Usually, a primary source is a direct, first-hand account of an event. It is usually created at the time of an event or shortly thereafter. It's a first-person account of an event. Examples include:

• Diaries
• Letters
• Speeches
• Interviews
• Statistics
• Government Records such as court proceedings, legal briefs, census records
• Photographs
• Art
• Newspaper articles  
• Maps
• Video and audio recordings
• First-hand narratives or stories

A secondary source would be something that interprets, analyses, or remarks upon a primary source. Examples include:

• Scholarly journal articles
• Newspaper and magazine articles
• Essays
• Theses and dissertations
• Stories or films produced about an historical event

A tertiary source is further removed from a primary source. It leads the researcher to a secondary source, rather than to the primary source.

• Encyclopedias and dictionaries
• Textbooks
• Biographies