What Are Primary Sources

Primary sources are the direct, uninterpreted records of the subject of your research project. As such, a primary source can be almost anything, depending on the subject and purpose of your research. Refer back to the section on The Truth Is Out There for a list of possible primary sources, but remember that the list is incomplete. Be creative in thinking of possible relevant primary sources of information on your topic.

There is no clear or set line between primary and secondary sources; it depends on the purpose and perspective of your research project. For example, a philosopher studying ideas would want the last or latest edition of a writer's work as a primary source to make a philosophical analysis of a developed idea, whereas an intellectual historian studying the development of ideas would want previous editions and drafts, the writer's notes, and the writer's own sources to see how an idea developed. Or, a published version (or even a translation) of a diary, if it is a reliable representation of the actual diary, is for many (but not all) purposes sufficient as a primary source.

Why Use Primary Sources

A primary source is as close as you can get to the event, person, phenomenon, or other subject of your research. But a primary source on its own is likely only a snippet or snapshot of the full picture; thus it is often difficult to interpret on its own. Reference sources and secondary analyses give you a framework for interpreting primary sources. But the real work of research is examining primary sources to test the interpretations, analyses, and views you find in reference and secondary sources. Use primary sources to find evidence which challenges these interpretations, or evidence in favor of one scholar's interpretation over that of another; then posit an interpretation of your own, and look for more primary sources for evidence to confirm or refute your thesis. When you present your conclusions, you will have produced another secondary source to aid others in their research.

How Do I Find Primary Sources

• Published materials: books, articles, audio or video recordings, computer files, etc.
  These are listed in indexes and catalogs of published works, which include primary, secondary, and tertiary sources. See the sections on finding books, articles, audio/video/etc, and Internet sites for finding published works of all types.
• Rare books, unpublished manuscripts, archival collections, artifacts, etc.
  Here's where the real work in primary research comes. Depending on your topic, just about anything could be considered as a possible primary source of information. Below is a list of some of the more standard methods and sources for finding unpublished or nonstandard sources of information. Ask a librarian for more ideas about what to look for and where to look for it.
• Create your own: your own research, whether that consists of lab experiments, surveys, interviews, field notes, etc., creates source material for you to work from while analyzing your topic and answering your research question. 
  
  Finding rare books, unpublished manuscripts, archival collections, artifacts, etc.
  
  

1. Bibliographies in secondary sources: Often an easy and successful method of finding primary sources. Look at the sources listed in books, articles, and other scholarly analyses of your topic to find lists of primary sources relevant to your research.
2. General and subject specific indexes: This is a very brief list of a few examples of indexes to primary sources (to find indexes covering your topic, search the CTW Online Catalog or ask a librarian):
   • ArchivesUSA - An index of manuscript collections in the United States with information about the repositories which contain them. It also provides links to other web sites which have more information about the documents listed.
   • NUCMC - National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections, a catalog of "archival and manuscript collections in research libraries, museums, state archives, and historical societies located throughout North America." Also includes links to many other online resources, including a list of archival and manuscript repositories in the United States.
   • Sources for US History - in Olin Reference collection: E 180 .S74 1991
   • American Literary Manuscripts: A Checklist of Holdings in the United States - in Olin Reference and in Special Collections office: Z 6620 .U5 M6 1977.
   • Index of English Literary Manuscripts 1450-1900 - in Olin Reference collection: Z 6611 .L7 I5
3. Special Collections and Archives in Olin: SC&A can help in several ways. In addition to helping you identify and work with the many rare books, manuscripts, artifacts, and other useful primary sources covering a variety of subjects housed in SC&A, the SC&A librarians are specialists in tracking down materials in other archives, museums, and other collections. SC&A librarians also offer class sessions on using primary sources in your area of study. See their web pages for more information and for the hours they are available to assist you.
   In addition to SC&A, Wesleyan also has these primary source archives:
   • Wesleyan Cinema Archives
   • Davison Art Center Print Collection
   • Mansfield Freeman Center for East Asian Studies
   • World Music Archives
4. Internet: See the section on Finding Internet Sites, or try this sampling of useful collections of primary sources on the Web
   • National Archives and Records Administration - A Federal government agency whose task is to "preserve our nation's history by overseeing the management of all Federal records."
   • American Memory - A Library of Congress web site featuring online primary source materials on United States history and culture.
   • Making of America - From the University of Michigan, "a digital library of primary sources in American social history from the antebellum period through reconstruction."

For more information on primary research:  

See a librarian at the appropriate library or collection for your topic, or consult any of the following guides to using primary sources in research:

• Using Manuscripts & Archives - An online tutorial from Yale's Manuscripts and Archives Collection. It's written specifically for Yale's collection, but it also provides a good general overview for doing primary source research.
• Handbook of Literary Research - in Olin Library stacks: PR 56 .M54 1995
• Writing History: A Guide for Students - in Olin Library stacks: D 16 .S864 1999
• The Modern Researcher - in Olin Library stacks: D 13 .B334 1985
• Research in Archives: The Use of Unpublished Primary Sources - in Olin Library stacks: D 16 .B87 1969
• Library Research Using Primary Sources - UC Berkeley Library's brief online guide to doing primary research.
• Using Primary Sources on the Web - A guide written by the Instruction and Research Services Committee of the Reference And User Service Association, History Section in the American Library Association.