Primary Sources - short description
Primary Sources - what are they?
Primary sources enable the researcher to get as close as possible to what actually happened during a historical event or time period.
A primary source reflects the individual viewpoint of a participant or observer at the time of the event.
Some examples of primary sources include:
- Books, magazine and newspaper articles published at the time
- Diaries, memoirs & autobiographies
- Laws & court cases
- Speeches, interviews, letters
- Records of government agencies or organizations
- Public opinion polls & research data
- Religious, philosophical or literary texts
- Photographs, music, movies and videos
- Art, including paintings, prints and other media