Understanding primary sources
If you are seeking to learn about the past, primary sources of information are those that provide first-hand accounts of the events, practices, or conditions you are researching. In general, these are documents that were created by the witnesses or first recorders of these events at about the time they occurred, and include diaries, letters, reports, photographs, creative works, financial records, memos, and newspaper articles (to name just a few types).
Also because primary sources are interdisciplinary it may be helpful to check out the Primary Source section of the History Subject Guide.
Primary sources also include first-hand accounts that were documented later, such as autobiographies, memoirs, and oral histories. However, the most useful primary sources are usually considered to be those that were created closest to the time period you’re researching.
Determining which kinds of documents constitute primary sources depends upon the topic you’re researching. (For example, sometimes the same book or article could be considered a primary source for one research topic and a secondary source for a different topic.)
For Example: The painting of Washington Crossing The Delaware, by Emanuel Leutze was painted in 1851.
This painting is both a primary and secondary source depending on what you are researching.
Primary
It is a primary source if you are studying the painter Emanuel Leutze or art and paintings from the late 19th century.
Secondary
It is a secondary source if you are studying the American Revolution or the actual event of Washington crossing the Delaware, this is because the events depicted in the painting took place in 1776, over 50 years before the painting was painted. Emanuel Leutze was not present for the events he is depicting so it cannot be a primary source for those events.
Historical Newspapers
When using newspaper databases: 1)Look carefully at their descriptions to help you identify coverage date ranges. 2) When searching in the databases it helps to specify date ranges, especially if you are searching a historical newspaper. 3) When searching historical newspapers be aware of the language you are using. The algorithms search for words in the newspaper so using modern terminology for something from the 1800s may not work.
British Periodicals (ProQuest)Provides access to British periodicals published from the 17th through the early 20th century with the majority of content from the 19th century. Covers a broad range of topics.
Burney Collection Newspapers, 17th-18th Century (Gale)Features the newspapers and news pamphlets gathered by the Reverend Charles Burney (1757-1817), representing the largest single collection of 17th and 18th century English news media.
Burney Collection Newspapers: Seventeenth-Eighteenth Century (Gale)Explore the early history of the English newspaper. Learn about the English Civil War, the Restoration and 18th century political and cultural developments.“The newspapers, pamphlets, and books gathered by the Reverend Charles Burney (1757-1817) represent the largest and most comprehensive collection of early English news media. The present digital collection, that helps chart the development of the concept of ‘news’ and ‘newspapers’ and the “free press,” totals almost 1 million pages and contains approximately 1,270 titles. Many of the Burney newspapers are well known, but many pamphlets and broadsides also included have remained largely hidden. Newly digitized, all Burney treasures are now fully text-searchable.
Times (London) Digital Archive, 1785-2012 (Gale)Provides a fully searchable facsimile of the
Times of London from its inception through about five years ago.
The Times is the world's oldest daily newspaper in continuous publication.
Databases for Primary Sources
Early English Books Online (ProQuest) Tutorial
Provides access to digital page images of virtually every work printed in England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and British North America and works in English printed elsewhere from 1473 to 1700. Includes books, pamphlets, manuscripts, and newspapers. For searchable text of selected titles see
Early English Books Online -Text Creation Partnership.
Early English Books Online - Text Creation Partnership Tutorial
Provides access to fully searchable texts of a subset of
Early English Books Online.
Eighteenth Century Collections Online: Parts I&II (Gale)Offers full text access to nearly every English-language and foreign-language title printed in the United Kingdom, alongside thousands of works published in the Americas, between 1701 and 1800. Consists of books, pamphlets, broadsides, and ephemera. Multiple editions of individual works are offered where they add scholarly value or contain important differences.
Eighteenth Century Collections Online: Text Creation PartnershipOffers full text access to nearly every English-language and foreign-language title printed in the United Kingdom, alongside thousands of works published in the Americas, between 1701 and 1800. Consists of books, pamphlets, broadsides, and ephemera. Multiple editions of individual works are offered where they add scholarly value or contain important differences.
Tutorials can be found here Eighteenth Century Journals (Adam Matthew Digital) Limitations on Use
Features journals and newspapers published between 1685 and 1815 in England, Scotland, Ireland, Jamaica, and British India. Topics covered are wide-ranging and include colonial life, provincial and rural affairs, the French and American revolutions, reviews of literature and fashion, political debates, and London coffee house gossip.
Limitations on Use:
This database and the information in it is protected by copyright. (1) Authorised Users must comply with all applicable laws in using the Licensed Materials; (2) the Licensed Materials being supplied are only for the Authorised User's personal use; (3) reproduction or distribution of Licensed Materials that violates applicable law is prohibited (4) all Intellectual Property and other rights in the Licensed Materials is retained by the licensor.
Provides access to the web of correspondence between the greatest thinkers and writers of the long 18th century and their families and friends, bankers and booksellers, patrons and publishers. Includes letters and documents, document sources such as manuscripts and early printed editions, scholarly annotations, and links to biographies, dictionaries, encyclopedias, newspapers, and other online resources.