Primary Sources | Secondary Sources | Examples | Find Primary Sources
Primary Sources
Primary sources are the actual documents or records that have survived the past. They allow researchers to get as close as possible to the truth of what really happened in history. Examples of primary documents are memoirs, diaries, speeches, letters, films, sound recordings, poetry, and paintings. Also, any article written during the time the historical event occurred.
Secondary Sources
A secondary source is any work that attempts to interpret or analyze a historical phenomenon or event. A book about the significance of Pearl Harbor to World War II would be considered a secondary source. You can find secondary sources by searching the library online catalog or any of the electronic databases and indexes.
Examples of Primary Sources/Secondary Sources
| Subject | Primary Source | Secondary Source |
| Art | painting by Van Gogh | the book Van Gogh's Progress by Carol M. Zemel |
| Biology | an original research study on saccharin and its effects on the body | an article in Newsweek which reports on recent studies on saccharin |
| Business | Microsoft's annual report | an article about Microsoft called "When You Have $24 Billion" by David Cohen published in Time magazine |
| Literature | a poem by Christina Rossetti | a book by Anthony Harrison called Christina Rossetti in Context |
| History | the Constitution of the United States | an article called "Our (im)perfect Constitution" by Mark A. Graber printed in The Review of Politics |
| Psychology | a research study on schizophrenia | a book called Living With Schizophrenia by Alexander Hyde |
Reference Books |
HAL Catalog | Periodicals |
Polls & Surveys | Government Documents |
Contemporary Books
Historic Documents | Special Collections
1. Start with a reference book
Use a reference book to get the background info, key names, events, and publications associated with your topic.
Look in the reference area or ask a librarian for recommendations.
Look up key people or organizations as authors.
macarthur douglas
department of defense
Perform a subject search of your topic. Look for works such as correspondence, diaries, interviews, etc. in the subject heading.
philisophers, German -- correspondence, reminiscence, etc.
Chesnutt, Charles Waddell, 1858 - 1932 -- Diaries.
Interviews - Nicaragua
Search for articles from newspapers or other periodicals published during the time period for your topic. The King Library has the following newspaper in microfilm:
Bristol Herald Courier Dec. 1, 1905- Dec.31, 1996
New York Times 1962-1996
Washington Post 1966-1981
Use these periodical indexes to locate articles:
JSTOR
International Index to Periodical Articles (1907-1965)
Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature (1901-1999)
Poole's Index to Periodical Literature (1802-1907)
Humanities Index (1974-1996)
4. Find public opinion polls from the time period of your topic:
Lexis-Nexis select "Polls & Surveys" under "Reference"
Be sure the date is from the same time period as your event or topic.
Studies, reports, court reports, census reports, and other documents produced by the government agencies are good sources of primary source material. Try searching these government indexes to locate documents:
GPO Monthly Catalog
GPO Access
Lexis-Nexis Use the "Legal Research" section for the court cases
and other legal documents
The Government Resources Guide has links to many websites with government documents.
Use the HAL to search for books on your topic written during that era. Limit your search to the dates for your time period.
Subject: Children Health and hygiene
Year of Publication: After 1900 and Before 1920
7. Compilations of Historic Documents
Look for books that provide reprints of the primary source material such as those listed below.
Historic Documents
Annals of America
Documents of American History
Some libraries also maintain microfilm collection of primary source material.
8. Special Collections and Archives
Libraries often have special collections and archives that contain historic documents and artifacts such as diaries, correspondence, and other unpublished documents relating to people and organizations.
The E.W. King Library maintains an archive of materials related to the history of the college. Other libraries may have collections of local history resources, subject collections, or other types of materials. For example, ETSU has an archive of materials related to Appalachian studies. Public libraries may maintain local history resources or genealogy collections.
To find special collections:
Use books that are guides to manuscripts or archives such as
Special Collections in the Library of Congress: A Selective Guide
Special Collections in the Libraries of the Southeast
These types of books will help you locate special collections in libraries.
Search for your topic on WorldCat. Limit your search to "archival materials."
View library websites to find out if the library has an archive or special collection room.
Look for digital archives on your topic. Examples of digital archives are:
The Library of Congress's American Memory Collection
Duke University's Historic American Sheet Music Collection
