Primary/Secondary Sources

Primary sources are actual records that have survived from the past.

Secondary sources are accounts of the past created by people writing about events sometime after they happened.

Types of Primary Sources:

Published books, periodicals, documents, reports, literature, ads, maps, pamphlets, posters, laws, court decision

Being published does not guarantee accuracy/ reliability.

Unpublished letters, diaries, journals, wills, deeds, family Bibles,/histories, report cards, correspondence, minutes, research & development files, speeches, police, tax and voter records, classified docs

Unpublished material offers clues to the past because they were not meant for public viewing.

Oral traditions spoken words

Oral histories song lyrics

Oral histories offer essential references about people, particularly minorities often excluded from mainstream publications.

Visual documents photographs, films, paintings, art

Like all primary documents, visual documents have a creator with a viewpoint.