PRIMARY
SOURCES
A Northwest
Vista College Library Research Guide |
Primary
sources
are
records of events as they are first described, without any interpretation
or commentary including firsthand documents such as poems, diaries,
court records, interviews, research results generated by experiments,
surveys, ethnographies. They are also sets of data, such as census
statistics, which have been tabulated, but not interpreted.
Secondary
sources
offer an analysis
or a restatement of primary sources. They often attempt to describe
or explain primary sources. Some secondary sources not only analyze
primary sources, but use them to argue a contention or to persuade
the reader to hold a certain opinion. They include dictionaries,
encyclopedias, textbooks, and books and articles that interpret
or review research
works.
(definitions from Bowling Green State University Library
Instruction website)
To
Search for Primary Sources Using the Library Website:
Library Catalog
Search
: Keyword : “Your Topic” and “Primary
source”
Other
search terms to try instead of
“primary source” : Correspondence; diaries;
letters; oral history(s); source(s); speeches; interview(s); pictorial
works
Search
: Other : Form/Genre : Primary source
Online Databases
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 dating back to the 1920s, with clips as recent as
48 hours. (Suggestion: View “Take a Guided Tour”
before beginning search)
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)
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)
Web
Sites
- The websites listed contain some
primary documents
American
Memory
History
Matters
Historic
Documents
Internet Public Library
ü
Search : Primary Documents
or Primary Sources
Librarians’
Index to the Internet
ü
Search : Primary Source
One hundred milestone documents
DON'T FORGET:
Off Campus Access is available 24/7. Click on the title of
the database. You will be asked for a login and password. The
login is your PALS login and the password is your original PALS
password.
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