What is a Primary Source?
A primary source is a first-hand or contemporary account of an event or topic.
Primary sources are the most direct evidence of a time or event because they were created by people or things that were there at the time or event. These sources offer original thought and have not been modified by interpretation. Primary sources are original materials, regardless of format.
Examples of Primary Sources
- letters
- diaries
- minutes
- photographs
- artifacts
- interviews
- sound and video recordings
- oral histories
- newspaper articles
- journal articles
- research studies
- memoirs
- autobiographies
Primary sources may be transformed from their original format into a newer one, such as when materials are published or digitized, but the contents are still primary. There are many primary sources available online today, but many more are still available in their original format, in archives, museums, libraries, historical sites, and elsewhere.
