[Photo credit: Maguis & David]
|
"Ted Stanford interviews 1st Sgt. Morris O. Harris,.WWII." Public domain photo.
Primary sources provide first-hand testimony or direct evidence concerning a topic under investigation.
They are created by witnesses or recorders who experienced the events or conditions being documented.
(From: "Primary sources at Yale")
Writing about History and Finding Primary Sources (UTSC) explain more about primary source research.
Think about what kinds of primary sources might be related to your topic:
Nowadays even your social media can be a primary source, because it reflects the reality of the times.
1. Start with what you already have: to uncover references to primary sources. Consult your:
They can also help you identify relevant historical figures, authors, or keywords for searching library databases
2. Use the library catalogue to find books and other materials.
To find primary sources on your subject, combine keywords for different kinds of primary sources with keywords for your topic.
Examples:
reformation sources
world war 1914 correspondence
national socialism documents
3. Use reliable online text collections, such as the ones in this research guide.
4. Use one of the specialized libraries at U of T, such as the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library, or one of our special collections.
University of Toronto Libraries
130 St. George St.,Toronto, ON, M5S 1A5
libraryhelp@utoronto.ca
416-978-8450
Map
About web accessibility. Tell us about a web accessibility problem.
About online privacy and data collection.
© University of Toronto. All rights reserved. Terms and conditions.