HIST 1302 - Sprehe: Primary Sources

A Primary Source is a document, image or object that provides a first-hand account or was created during a historical event.  Examples of primary sources may include:

• Documents: Diaries, legal documents, land deeds, newspaper reports, interviews, etc.
• Images: Photographs, maps, drawings
• AV material: oral histories, video recordings of interviews, historical events, etc.

When you are using primary sources in your research, keep the following points in mind:

• Whether the resource is considered a primary or a secondary source may depend on the context in which the researcher is using it.
• Primary sources may contain bias.  That does not necessarily mean you can't use them ; instead you must think critically about the resource and how it will fit into your research.
• Primary sources originating from different people may give different accounts of the same historical event.

Articles written at the time your historical event occurred are considered primary sources.  All of the library databases will allow you to limit your article search by date.

The library holds several print periodicals that date back to the first half of the 20th century.  Examples:

• Life Magazine (1936-1972)
• Harper's (1940-present)
• Atlantic (1932-2008, 2019-present)

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Sometimes a good way to find primary sources in your research is to check the citations of secondary sources that you are using. 

Ideally, you will be doing this anyway to gauge how  thoroughly the author has researched his/her topic!

Use the library catalog to access primary sources that are held in the Lee College print collection.

Try using some of the following searches in the catalog:

[Your subject] + Interviews --> Example: Clinton, Bill Interviews

[Your subject] + Maps --> Texas Maps

[Your subject] + Sources --> Reconstruction Sources

The library also owns books that contain a set of primary sources relating to a particular topic.