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History 301: Historical Methods and Writing

Primary Sources

Primary source material is essential to the historian but they are not necessarily easily identified in the vast amounts of information available.  

Primary sources are artifacts created at the time the historical events occurred. However, some materials like oral histories and memoirs created after the event, can also be considered primary sources since the person experienced the event. 

Even with primary source material, ask yourself if what you have is complete or biased in any way. If you are looking at a set of letters or a published memoir, consider how the editor or compiler made decisions about what to include. It may be certain materials were not included to portray a person or event in a certain light, material was considered irrelevant, or new evidence has come to light since the publication of the source you found. 

Primary source material may be found within what appears at first glance to be a secondary source. Sometimes a secondary source item will look like a primary source. When in doubt, ask for help! 

Primary Sources are:

These are some possible categories/formats of materials you might find. Of course, technologies available at the time of the event will determine some categories: Film newsreels are not going to be found if you are searching the Dark Ages! 

Print 

  • Newspapers
  • Memoir
  • Diary or diaries
  • Letters (note the term 'Correspondence' is the LoC subject heading subdivision) 
  • Maps
  • Personal narrative (this is a LoC subject heading subdivision)
  • Journal (not the scholarly publication, but more like a diary) 
  • Government reports and publications
  • Oral history transcriptions

Image or sound file

  • Photographs/slides/prints
  • Paintings and drawings (a high quality photograph will be acceptable) 
  • Newsreels 
  • Television shows
  • Newscasts
  • Music recordings and videos
  • Oral history recordings

Realia (objects) 

  • Artwork
  • Buildings
  • Toys and games 
  • Clothing
  • Furniture
  • Souvenirs
  • Scrapbooks
  • Ephemera (items created for short-term or one-time use such as flyers, brochures, ticket stubs)

 

The links below offer some collections that cover a wide range of topics. The Library also has a long list of databases with other primary source collections:

Newspaper Archive Databases

You can find primary sources in the library book collection in either collections (frequently called anthologies) or included within secondary source books as illustrations, appendices, or excerpts (quotations from a larger source.) 

Quoted pieces from a larger document are not ideal primary sources, in the event you find a 'piece' of a larger source item in a book, whenever possible go to the original document. Find the information in the footnote or bibliography. If you need help locating the item, of course, ask for help! 

The search video below demonstrates looking for a diary which is one form of primary source. For other types of material that you can use in your search strategy, refer to Primary Source Types for a list of ideas. 

To search for books at CSUSM, choose the Books & More tab on the library website:

Image of library home page with an arrow pointed to the tab Books & More, which you use to search for books in the CSUSM Library

Kennedys

President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Attend Ballet Folklorico Performance, Mexico City, 1962. ST-C1-11-62. Used with permission, John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.

Whenever possible, search a reputable collection for original, high-quality scans. You are more likely to find accurate information as well as usage guidelines.

A good quality site, such as university, museum or special collection archive, provides basic information such as artist/photographer, date and location. 

In addition, you may find helpful notes or description to place the image in historical context. Do not use this information as your secondary source as it will not have gone through the rigor of peer-review, but do use it as a 'launch pad' to understanding your image, its importance, and application to your historical topic. 

Google Images

Google Images is one way to locate historical images but has some challenges as well. 

  • There is no way to limit the search to primary sources. 
  • You will find historical and modern images mixed together from sources ranging from hobbyist sites (Pinterest) to scholarly museum collections. 
  • What you see in Google Images may not be the entire original image. Clipping a piece out of a larger image alters the context and meaning. 
  • Do NOT cite Google Images as your source. You must follow the trail to the original digitized image source. 
  • Check for permissions. Finding it on the internet does not mean you have permission to use. Most institutions allow no-fee use for educational purposes such as student papers, but there are some that do not (Getty Images for one.) Others require you to request permission to use and will generally grant for student use.  

Here is a video on following a 'breadcrumb trail' in a Google Image search to a source you can cite. 

Subjects: History