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Primary Sources: SS 10 1950-2010

World Book Student

Internet History Sourcebooks

The Internet History Sourcebooks Project is a world wide web project designed to provide easy access to primary sources.

Modern History Sourcebook

Avalon Project

Avalon Project: Documents in Law, History and Diplomacy

20th Century Documents: 1900 - 1999

21st Century Documents: 2000 - 

Other Parts of the World

Primary Sources

What are Primary Source Documents?

A Primary Source is a document, record, or work created at the time of an event or by a person who directly experienced an event.  A Primary Source contains original data and is from the time period being researched; it has not yet been filtered through interpretation.

Examples:

  • Artifacts (e.g. coins, plant specimens, fossils, furniture, tools, clothing, all from the time under study)
  • Audio Recordings (e.g. radio programs)
  • Diaries
  • Interviews
  • Letters
  • Newspaper Articles
  • Photographs
  • Speeches
  • Video Recordings
  • Works of art, architecture, literature, and music (e.g., paintings, sculptures, musical scores, buildings, novels, poems).

References:

      University of Maryland Libaries.  (2013).  Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Sources.  Retrieved from http://www.lib.umd.edu/ues/guides/primary-sources#primary

      University of Victoria Libraries.  (2013).  Primary or Secondary Sources.  Retrieved from http://www.uvic.ca/library/research/tips/primvsec/index.php

*The above references are in APA format.

What are Secondary Sources?

A Secondary Source is an account written after the fact with the benefit of hindsight.  A Secondary Source usually describes, interprets, summarizes, analyzes, evaluates, is derived from, or is based on Primary Source materials.

Examples:

  • Books and Textbooks about past events/people
  • Biographies
  • Historical films
  • Music and art about a past events/person
  • Articles about past events/people

References:

   University of Maryland Libraries.  (2013).  Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Sources.  Retrieved from http://www.lib.umd.edu/ues/guides/primary-sources#primary

   University of Victoria Libraries.  (2013).  Primary or Secondary Sources.  Retrieved from http://www.uvic.ca/library/research/tips/primvsec/index.php

Canadian Encyclopedia

Television

BBC On This Day - 1950 - 2005 

Search by Date or Theme

For example:  11 September

News Photo Galleries

Google Search Tip

Try a Google search using your topic plus one of the items on the primary source examples list e.g. Mahatma Gandhi letters or Moon landing interviews

Creating a Bibliography