History

Primary Sources

Primary sources provide a firsthand account from a particular time period. These are original documents written by people who witnessed an event or lived in the same time. Good examples of primary resources include letters, diaries, court records, photographs, and interviews.

Secondary Sources

Secondary sources, on the other hand, offer an analysis of primary sources. Some secondary sources not only analyze primary sources but use them to argue a point or to persuade the reader to hold a certain opinion. Examples of secondary sources include dictionaries, encyclopedias, books, and journal articles.

For example, David McCullough’s biography, John Adams, is an example of a secondary source that explores John Adams's life through primary sources, including letters, diaries, contemporary newspaper articles, and other sources from the time period.

Watch this video for more information on primary and secondary sources:

Tips for finding primary sources in OneSearch:

• Add primary source types to your search terms, for example, World War II AND letters
• Look at the library's ebook collection. Many books about historical time periods contain primary sources, such as letters or diaries
• Use the filters on the left side to narrow your search by date or to search in the newspaper collection