Primary sources are materials that provide firsthand testimony or the closest evidence to a subject under investigation. Researchers often use these firsthand accounts of specific events, or direct investigations to understand events from the viewpoint of people living during that time period. Primary sources include letters, diaries, photographs, newspaper articles, and pamphlets. For more information, check out the Primary Sources Guide.
To find primary sources via Google, try adding keywords like journals, papers, letters, documents, primary sources, or documentary history to your search terms.
The Gordon Library Archives are a great resource for primary sources. To learn more about the Archives' collections or to schedule a visit to the Archives, please call 508-831-6112 or e-mail archives@wpi.edu.
Many primary source documents are republished in books, or even referenced within books on historical topics. To find these books, search Summon for books about your topic and add keywords like journals, papers, letters, documents, or documentary history to your search terms.
Charles Darwin and the Question of Evolution: A Brief History with Documents by 
A Documentary History of Biochemistry, 1770-1940 by 
Genetic Engineering: A Documentary History by Health and Society: A Documentary History of Medicine by