What are Primary Sources?
Primary Sources:
- Are materials that contain direct evidence, first-hand testimony, or an eyewitness account concerning a topic or event under investigation
- Are materials or documents that were created during the time of the event in which you are interested
- Provide the raw data for your research
Examples of Primary Sources
- Diaries, letters, correspondence, interviews
- newspaper articles directly reporting on the event,
- Government documents, maps, interviews,
- Statistics, or photographs.
Really it is the way you interpret or use a source determines whether it is a primary source or not (most sources have the potential to be a primary source!)