Primary sources are materials that provide firsthand testimony to a subject under investigation. Researchers often use these firsthand accounts of specific events to understand events from the viewpoint of people living during that time period. Primary sources include letters, diaries, photographs, newspaper articles, and pamphlets. Primary sources also include writings and recordings by witnesses who experienced the events or conditions being documented. For example, oral histories, autobiographies, and memoirs are primary sources.
Primary source materials can be found in a variety of locations, including within books, newspapers, article bibliographies, and archives or manuscripts collections. For popular reaction to events/issues, try searching the Letters to the Editor in a newspaper such as the New York Times.
Sometimes collections of primary source documents are republished in books. Here are some strategies for finding books like these:
Here are some examples of books containing primary sources:
Archives and Special Collections at Gordon Library serves as the institutional memory of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) and curates the university's collection of manuscripts, rare books, art, and objects. Our staff is committed to the preservation of the historical and cultural resources produced by WPI faculty, students, and staff while also providing support for primary source education and research. To ask a question about the archives, please fill out our contact form or e-mail archives@wpi.edu.
Search full text and images 1851-2020 including news, illustrations, editorials, and advertisements.
In the New York Times Historical database, go to the Advanced Search page and enter your keywords. Under Publication Date, select "Specific Date Range," and enter the dates you are studying.
Online archive of eBooks and complete backruns of scholarly journals in a variety of academic fields.
In the New York Times Historical database, go to the Advanced Search page and enter your keywords. Under Publication Date, select "Specific Date Range," and enter the dates you are studying.
Early English Books Online (EEBO) is the definitive online collection of early printed works in English. With over 125,000 titles from before 1700, the EEBO contains virtually every work printed in England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales and British North America and works in English printed elsewhere from 1473-1700.
To find primary sources via Google, try adding keywords like journals, papers, letters, documents, primary sources, or documentary history to your search terms. Primary sources can often be found on library, museum, and government websites.
Here are some examples of websites that can help you find primary sources:
