Primary Sources

Definition

• Materials that contain first-hand testimony, direct evidence or an eyewitness account of a topic or event
• Contemporary accounts, produced at the time or place under investigation
• Factual, raw data, not an interpretation or analysis

Examples of Primary Sources

• Personal Correspondence: Letters, diaries, emails, social media posts
• News Media: newspaper articles, radio and television broadcasts created at the time of the event
• Ephemera: posters, pamphlets, flyers, coupons, advertisements
• Artistic Expressions: Paintings, sculptures, photographs, objets d'art, performances
• Archival Material: Manuscripts, public records, documents held in archival collections
• Original Texts: Texts produced during the time under investigation eg:
  • writings of ancient authors: Homer, Plutarch etc.
  • books written by important thinkers or scholars who are themselves the subject of research: Books or articles written by Freud, Malthus, McLuhan etc.
• Government Documents: Policy statements, legislation, debates or proceedings
• Raw Data: datasets without analysis