A Guide to Primary Sources

In the Social Sciencess a primary source is an original first hand account of an event or time period which is written or made during or close to the time of the event. It is factual and not an analysis or interpretation.

Primary Source Formats

• artefacts and creative works
• government documents and records
• numerical data and statistics
• oral histories and qualitative research
• original research articles and case studies

Find Primary Sources in the Catalogue

In the Library Catalogue search for your topic and include one of the following words or phrases:

• correspondence
• interviews
• oral histories
• personal narratives
• public opinion
• transcripts