History : Research Primary Sources

Primary sources are first-hand sources created at the time of a particular event or period.

•  Primary source basics: a video tutorial (Gale Cengage)
• Comparing primary and secondary sources (NU Library)
• Using primary sources: questions to ask (Library of Congress)

Finding archives with sources on your topic:

Primary sources can be found online, reproduced in printed books, or in their original form in archival collections.  To find out which American archives have manuscripts and records on your topic, search ArchiveGrid.  See our ArchiveGrid tutorial.