Finding Primary Sources
What is a primary source?
A primary source is an original document or object created people who lived at the time in history you are studying and had firsthand experience with the topic or event.
Secondary sources are created by people (e.g. journalists or historians) who study primary sources and then report or comment on what they found.
Getting Started
1. Do research using secondary sources first.
Look for background information on your topic using secondary sources. This will help you know which primary source will fit your topic best.
2. Understand your argument.
Your primary source is evidence to support your argument. You will have to analyze the source and explain why it supports your argument. Understand your argument and choose sources carefully.
3. Choose the right format for your primary source.
Primary sources can take almost any form (e.g. video, letter, painting, interview, etc.). Which format fits your topic and supports your argument best?
Primary Source Search Example
Topic
Counterculture in the 1960's.
Background Research & Argument
Your research and argument are about the role that the counterculture played in influencing American culture & politics.
Primary Source Search
Look for sources from that time that might reflect the influence on culture and politics.
magazine / newspaper stories
documentary clips
TV show or movie clips
opinion polls
government documents (e.g. FBI files)
LMC Books & Databases
Start with LMC books and databases to find primary sources to find sources along with analysis and context.
LMC Books
Look for collections of primary sources or that have a part of the book dedicated to sources.
Look at the description of the book in the library catalog.
Skim through any books you find in your initial research.
Look for analysis and context about the primary source in books and eBooks.,
LMC Databases
Menus on the left and right side of the results help you narrow or refine your results.
Look for clues in the headings and search filters, e.g. media, documents, photo, maps, speeches, primary sources. I
Use the database password page to access databases off campus.
Websites
Websites will often have collections of primary sources, but they don't usually have context or analysis.
Take time to determine how the site is organized and browse using menus as much as you use keyword searches.
Primary Source Portals
Primary source portals make it easy to search large collections of one or more collections of primary sources.
Institutional Collections
Other collections might be just materials from one university, museum, public library or a collection that exists only on the web.
Documenting the American South
Primary Source Search Engine
Try using our LMC staff created primary source search engine. . It searches Google with an emphasis on a few hundred primary sources sites.