Q. How do I find primary sources?

Primary Sources consist of original materials--a first-hand account of something. They are created at the time of, or very soon after, an event. The information has not been filtered through any interpretation or criticism.

Examples of primary sources include:

• speeches
• interviews
• official documents
• diaries
• letters 
• memoirs
• works of literature
• articles (newspaper, magazine, journal) 
• government publications
• pamphlets
• manuscripts
• photographs
• audio/video recordings 
• objects of material culture, art, etc.
• autobiography

Need Help Finding Primary Sources? Start at:

• Multidisciplinary Databases for Primary Sources

• Primary Sources for Kentucky

• Primary Sources for the United States

• European Primary Sources

• Non-Western Primary Sources