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What Are Primary Sources?
Primary sources are documents or objects created by participants or witnesses at the time of an event.
Examples of primary sources: diaries, interviews, autobiographies, government documents, speeches, photographs, and artifacts, such as pottery.
Need help citing primary sources in Chicago Style? Watch these video tutorials!
Online Sources for Primary Documents
- Fordham University Internet History Sourcebooks ProjectFull-text primary documents ranging from ancient to modern times. Use the menu to browse for documents for specific times, regions, and sub-topics (such as women or science), or use the search box to look for documents with a specific term or name (e.g., gladiators).
- The Avalon ProjectA variety of primary documents from 4000 BCE to the modern era. From Yale University Law School.
- Perseus Digital LibraryIncludes Greek, Roman and Renaissance materials. From Tufts University.
- EuroDocsLinks to online primary documents for European nations. From Brigham Young University.
- World History (Gale In Context) This link opens in a new windowIncludes world history reference articles, periodical articles, historical maps, primary documents, audio and video. (NVCC)
- World History Modern Era This link opens in a new windowCovers a broad range of modern history topics in depth, includes images, videos and provides easy-to-navigate access to authoritative information for research purposes.
- Daily Life through History This link opens in a new windowA comprehensive, cross-disciplinary resource of social history from ancient times to the present including books, articles, images, maps, primary documents, and more; exploring how others lived and live their lives, and how their lives shaped ours. Full-text. (NVCC)
- Oxford African American Studies Center This link opens in a new windowOver 8,000 articles by top scholars that focus on the lives and events which have shaped African American history and culture. Also includes images and primary sources. (NVCC)
Search for Primary Documents Online
In Google, search for "primary sources" and your topic.
You could also try "primary documents" or "digital collection" or "digital library" in addition to "primary sources".
Search the Library Catalog
How to Search the Library Catalog for Books with Primary Documents
Type in "primary sources" and your topic. For example:
primary sources egypt