Definition-Primary Source
Primary sources - records of events as they are first described, without any interpretation or commentary including
firsthand documents such as:
poems,
diaries,
court records,
interviews and
research results generated by experiments, surveys, ethnographies.
They are also sets of data, such as census statistics, which have been tabulated, but not interpreted.
Finding Primary Sources in the Library Catalog
Library Catalog
Choose Keyword search : Type in “Your Topic” and “Primary source”
Example: "civil war" and "primary source"
You can also search for a specific type of primary source such as:
correspondence;
diaries;
letters;
oral history(s);
speeches;
interview(s);
pictorial works
Example: "civil war" and diaries
You can search by Form/Genre. Click on Form/Genre from the Other Searches column (right column) in the catalog and type in Primary source
Finding Primary Sources in the Online Databases
Online Databases
The Following databases contain Primary Sources:
- Academic Search Complete Use the drop down menu by Publication Type and limit to Primary Source Document.
- AP/Accunet Multimedia Archive Contains photos, graphics, text & audio from the Associated Press featuring two photo databases: an International photo archive and a Euro/Asian photo archive; a graphics database containing graphics, maps, illustrations and logos prepared by the Associated Press; a text database containing full-text articles describing events at the time they occurred, as reported by the Associated Press staffers with 48 hour embargo; and, an audio database containing searchable audio clips.
- Facts.com Found under Issues/Controversies / Menu Access / Source Documents (Primary documents since 1940)
- Historical New York Times Includes years 1851-2001 offers full page and article images with searchable full text back to the first issue. The collection includes digital reproductions (PDF files) providing access to every page from every available issue.
- History Resource Center U.S. Contains 1000 primary documents (Search: “Your Topic” : Select the tab for primary documents – if available)
- JSTOR Search the full text of many scholarly journals in the arts, literature, botany, ecology and the social sciences. This database has the complete run of each journal title and results will be shown in their original image. Acrobat Reader must be installed to view these articles.
- Mas Ultra this database provides full text for more than 700 popular general interest and current events publications with information dating as far back as 1975 for key magazines. Also, it contains 83,472 primary source documents, and an Image Collection of 192,999 photos, maps and flags. Choose advanced search and limit publication type to primary source document
- The Nation Includes PDF page images and searchable OCR text for all issues published since 6 July 1865
- Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center Contains ca. 170 documents (Search: “Your Topic” : Select the tab for primary documents – if available)
- Student Research Center Contains thousands of curriculum-targeted primary documents. (Search : “Your Topic” : select the tab for primary documents)
Definition-Secondary Source
Secondary sources offer an analysis or a restatement of primary sources. They often attempt to describe or explain primary sources. They include:
dictionaries,
encyclopedias,
textbooks,
books and
articles that interpret or review research works.
(definitions from Bowling Green State University Library Instruction website)
Description
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