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Primary Sources: Home

Internet History Sourcebooks

Internet History Sourcebooks

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

Ancient History Sourcebook

Medieval Sourcebook

Modern History Sourcebook

World Book Advanced

Includes Primary Source documents for some articles

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

News Sources

CBC Digital Archives - Provides clips from CBC coverage back to the 1930s on topics relating to Canada's peoples, arts & entertainment, conflict & war, politics & economy, life & society, disasters & tragedies, science & technology, and sports.