What is a primary source?

A primary source is a document or physical object which was written or created during the time under study.

Some types of primary sources include:

• ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS such as diaries, speeches, letters, interviews, government records, and photographs
• CREATIVE WORKS such as poems, plays, novels, music, and paintings
• ARTIFACTS such as pottery, furniture, clothing, and buildings

Examples of primary sources (and the kinds of research topics they may inform) include:

• The Magna Carta (medieval English government)
• Roman coins (ancient economics)
• The Diary of Anne Frank (the Jewish experience of World War II)