Embedded Files
WHAT IS A PRIMARY SOURCE?
WHAT IS A PRIMARY SOURCE?
"Primary sources originate in the time period that historians are studying. They vary a great deal. They may include personal memoirs, government documents, transcripts of legal proceedings, oral histories and traditions, archaeological and biological evidence, and visual sources like paintings and photographs. " ( Storey, William Kelleher. Writing History: A Guide for Students. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999, p.18).
Primary sources provide first-hand testimony or direct evidence concerning a topic under investigation. They are created by witnesses or recorders who experienced the events or conditions being documented. Often these sources are created at the time when the events or conditions are occurring, but primary sources can also include autobiographies, memoirs, and oral histories recorded later. Primary sources are characterized by their content, regardless of whether they are available in original format, in microfilm/microfiche, in digital format, or in published format. (Primary Sources at Yale: http://www.yale.edu/collections_collaborative/primarysources/primarysources.html)
Primary Sources vs. Secondary Sources
Digital Public Library of America connects people to the riches held within America’s libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural heritage institutions. All of the materials found through DPLA—photographs, books, maps, news footage, oral histories, personal letters, museum objects, artwork, government documents, and so much more—are free and immediately available in digital format. https://dp.la/
Previously known as American Memory, the Library of Congress Digital Collections are a treasure chest of primary source artifacts.
Internet Archive is a non-profit library of millions of free books, movies, software, music, websites, and more. It also hosts the Wayback Machine, a handy tool to look up when a webpage was last updated.
This site provides access to photographs, manuscripts, books, audio recordings, and other materials of historical interest that have been digitized and made available by members of Digital Commonwealth, a statewide consortium of libraries, museums, archives, and historical societies from across Massachusetts.
https://www.digitalcommonwealth.org/
The Library of Congress and WGBH in Boston collaborated on this project to preserve for posterity the most significant public television and radio programs of the past 60 years.
Page updated
Report abuse