Research guides: Islamic Art and Architecture: Primary Sources

Primary vs. Secondary Sources

Working with primary and secondary sources requires a clear understanding of the definitions for these types of resources.

Defining Primary and Secondary Sources
Library and Archives Canada provides a toolkit for identifying primary and secondary sources. Includes a checklist to identify sources and reviews the questions to pose when examining a primary source
How to use Primary Sources on the Web - American Library Association
This site has some strategies for locating primary sources on the web. An excellent selection of classical texts are available online. Just be cautious about the quality of the site. The link below covers some criteria to consider when selecting resources on the web.
Evaluating Web Sites: Criteria and Tools - Cornell University Library
The quality of resources you find on the internet can vary greatly. This site helps you evaluate materials you may find.

Online Primary Sources

University of Toronto Library has a list of databases, Primary Sources, click here for the list.

Companion to the Qur'an [electronic resource] : based on the Arberry translation. W. Montgomery Watt. London: Routledge, 2008.

Internet History Sourcebook. Islamic Sources. ed. Paul Halsall. Fordham University.

Early Arabic Printed Books from the British Library, Early Arabic Printed Books from the British Library (1475-1900) is the first full-text searchable digital library of early printed books in Arabic script. Covering religious literature, law, science, mathematics, astrology, alchemy, medicine, geography, travel, history, chronicles, and literature, and including European translations of Arabic works and Arabic translations of European books, it exemplifies the long exchange of ideas and learning between Europe and the Arabic-speaking world.