A Guide to Primary Sources

In the Humanities 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
• autobiographies and memoirs
• government documents and records
• ​personal records or documents
• publications and newspapers​

Find Primary Sources in the Catalogue

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

• autobiography
• correspondence
• description and travel
• diaries
• interviews
• letters
• personal narratives
• public opinion
• pictorial works
• sources