| I. What is a Primary Source? |
"A primary source is a work that was written at a time that is
contemporary or nearly contemporary with the period or subject
being studied....a secondary work for a subject is one that discusses
the subject but is written after the time contemporary with it."-How
to Study History by Norman F. Cantor and Richard I. Schneider,
NY: Thomas Y. Crowell, 1967, p. 22-23.
"In historiography, a primary source is distinguished from a secondary by the
fact that the former gives the words of the witnesses or first recorders of an
event..." -The Modern Researcher by Jacques Barzun and Henry F. Graff, NY: Harcourt
Brace Jovanovich, 1985, p. 124.
If you have any questions about what your instructor will accept
as a primary source, ask.
| II. Examples of Primary Sources |
| autobiographies |
treaties |
radio or television broadcasts |
| memoirs |
legal documents |
ship's logs |
| diaries |
government documents |
manuscripts |
| travel narratives |
photographs |
cartoons |
| interviews |
newspaper articles from the time |
archives of an organization |
| correspondence |
account books |
|
Various disciplines, e.g., art, business, sociology, archaeology,
science, consider other types of sources as well:
the artist's work, a company's annual report, etc.
| III. Using George to Find Published Versions |
Search GEORGE, <http://catalog.library.georgetown.edu/>,
the online catalog, for published versions of primary sources. If you know
of a person involved in the event or from the time period, look under that
person's name as an author or subject for memoirs, diaries, and correspondence.
Key subheadings include: correspondence, personal narratives,
sources. Use these terms in a keyword search. For example, titanic
and correspondence.
To search by subject, try subject headings like the ones listed below:
for travel accounts:
Armenia--Description and travel or Russia--Description and travel--Early
works to 1800
for letters:
Composers--Austria--Correspondence
Diplomats--United States--Correspondence
Diplomats--Correspondence, reminiscences, etc.
for other types of sources:
Spain--History--Civil War, 1936-1939--Personal narratives
Ireland--History--Famine, 1845-1852--Sources
France--Civilization--17th Century--Sources or France--Social
life and customs--Sources
World War, 1914-1918--Treaties
United States--History--Revolution, 1775-1783--Foreign Public
Opinion
Bloomsbury Group--Caricatures and cartoons
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People--Archives
Indians of North America--Government relations--Sources
| IV. Contemporary News, Periodicals, and Other Publications |
1. 
Lauinger
Library's Guide to Research: Nineteenth Century Periodicals <http://www.library.georgetown.edu/guides/19thcentury/19thindex.htm>
2.
American
Periodical Series.
Digital images of historically significant American periodicals from 1740 to
1900, including literary and professional journals, children’s and women’s
magazines, and popular magazines. Also available from http://www.library.georgetown.edu/advisor/
3. English
Short Title Catalogue (ESTC)
Listing of English or English-language letterpress materials
published before 1801. The ESTC contains records for items of all
types published in Great Britain or its colonies or in English from
1473 to 1800. Available to GU faculty, students and staff only. Ask
at the reference desk. Also available from http://www.library.georgetown.edu/advisor/
4. Humanities
and Social Sciences Index Retrospecitve. (1907-1984)
Subject index to articles in social science and humanities periodicals.
5. New
York Times Historical (1851-2004)
Wall
Street Journal Historical (1889-1990)
Washington
Post Historical (1877-1991)
Complete, full-text archives of these papers with article and page
images. You may search by document
types such as article, obituary, classified ad, display ad, editorial,
editorial
cartoon, and review.
5. Niles
Register: Cumulative Index 1811-1849. CD-ROM
Network Instructions.
Index to early 19th Century American newspaper. Also available from http://www.library.georgetown.edu/advisor/
6. Nineteenth
Century Short Title Catalogue (NSTC) CD-ROM
Network Instructions.
A union catalog of books in English printed between 1801 and 1919. The NSTC
Project "aims to provide increasingly complete listings of British books," which
include "all books published in Britain, its colonies and the United States;
all books in English wherever published; and all translations from English." Also
available from http://www.library.georgetown.edu/advisor/
7. 
Reader's
Guide Retrospective (1890-1982)
Subject index to articles in general interest periodicals. Reader's Guide to
Periodical Literature (1900-1996) Ref. AI 3 .R48. Also available from http://www.library.georgetown.edu/advisor/
9.Television
News Archive. (1968- )
Network evening news broadcasts from the major U.S. national broadcast
networks: ABC, CBS, NBC since 1968; ABC's Nightline since 1989; CNN
WorldView: October 2, 1995 -November 3, 2000; CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports:
February 1, 2001 - December 31, 2001; CNN NewsNight: November 5,
2001 - Present. TV-NewsSearch provides keyword searching and limiting
capabilities for the 705,000 records in the collection. Some online
video from CNN broadcasts is available and can be viewed on workstations
in the Gelardin New Media Center using RealOne media player. Tapes
of all broadcasts are available for loan for a fee.
8. AccessUN 1944
- .
Indexes publications of the various bodies of the United Nations. Also available
from http://www.library.georgetown.edu/advisor/
9. American
Memory <http://rs6.loc.gov/amhome.html> More
Web sites are listed on the Library's U.S.
History research guide <http://www.library.georgetown.edu/guides/ushistory/>.
10. Annals
of America Ref. E 173 .A793
A collection of source material providing a documentary history of America.
Part I is comprised of 18 text volumes chronologically arranged from 1493 to
1968. Part II is a two-volume conspectus or topical index with essays reflecting
an overview of major recurring themes throughout American history. Additional
documents collections are listed on the U.S.
History guide.
11. Declassified
Documents 1945 - 1970s.
Collection of previously classified and top secret U.S. government documents.
Also available from http://www.library.georgetown.edu/advisor/ (Additional
information about identifying and locating declassified documents is listed
in the Library's Declassified
Documents guide.)
12. Digital
National Security Archive
Collection of previously classified and top secret U.S. government
documents. Also available from http://www.library.georgetown.edu/advisor/
13. Historic
Documents (1972 - present) Ref. E 839.5 .H57
An annual compilation of important documents such as speeches, international
agreements, court decisions, and reports, both U.S. and international. Short
essays give context for each document, some include a Web address (URL) (recent
years). Arranged by month.
14. International
Legal Materials. Ref. JX 68 .I5
Texts of selected documents such as international agreements, U.N. resolutions,
international judicial proceedings, and International Court of Justice decisions.
15. Lexis-Nexis
Congressional 1789 - .
U.S. Congressional publications and related materials. Also available from http://www.library.georgetown.edu/advisor/
16. Speech
and Transcript Center http://www.freepint.com/gary/speech.htm
Links to texts of current and historical speeches; includes some audio.
17. Women
Writers Online
Provides full-text editions of English-language works written by women between
1400 and 1850. Also available from http://www.library.georgetown.edu/advisor/
| VI. Selected Bibliographies in Reference |
18. American
Diaries: An Annotated Bibliography of Published American Diaries and Journals. Ref. Z 5305 .U5 A74 1983
19. And
So to Bed: A Bibliography of Diaries Published in English. Ref. Z
5301 .H38 1987
20. Autobiographies
by Americans of Color, 1980-1994: An Annotated Bibliography. Ref.
Z 5305 .U5 S78 1997
21.Contemporary
Authors Autobiography Series. Ref. Biog. CT 220 .C75
22. Through
a Woman's I: An Annotated Bibliography of American Women's Autobiographical
Writing, 1946-1976. Ref. Z 7963 .B6 A32 1983
23. Women
in English Social History, 1800-1914: A Guide to Research. Ref. Z
7964 .G7 K36 1987
24. Women's
Diaries, Journals and Letters: An Annotated Bibliography. Ref. Z
7963 .B6 C55 1989
| VII. Locating Archival Sources |
25. ArchivesUSA
This database provides information on primary source materials from over 4,800
archival and manuscript
repositories in the United States. Also available from http://www.library.georgetown.edu/advisor/
26. GU
Special Collections Division <http://www.library.georgetown.edu/dept/speccoll/>
27. Historical
Society of Washington, D.C. <http://www.historydc.org/Do_Research/>
28.Special
Collections in the Library of Congress. Ref. Z 733 .U58 U54 1980
29. Subject
Collections. Ref. Z 731 .S94 1993
A guide to special collections in libraries and museums in the United States
and Canada.
30. Washingtoniana
Division, District of Columbia Public Library <http://dcpl.dc.gov/dcpl/cwp/view.asp?a=1264&q=566688>
| VIII. Questions to Ask of Primary Sources |
1. What is it?
2. Who wrote it?
3. When and where was it written?
4. Why was this written?
5. Who was the intended audience?
6. What questions does this source raise?
7. What other information do we have about this document?
8. What other primary sources are like this one?
9. What other primary or secondary sources might help answer our questions?
What else do we need to know in order to understand the evidence in this
source?
10. Have others commented about this or similar sources?
11. How does evidence from this source alter or fit into existing interpretations
of the time period or event?
12. What evidence does this source contribute to my research?
--Adapted from "Using Primary Sources" from the DoHistory Web site: <http://www.dohistory.org/on_your_own/toolkit/primarySources.html>.
Accessed 9/15/00.
Please
send us your comments or suggestions
Content updated: 09/03,
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Links updated: 12/07
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