FYS: World War II

Primary sources are the raw materials of history - original documents and objects which were created at the time under study- or original research (experiments, scientific studies, surveys). They are different from secondary sources, accounts, interpretations, or criticism of primary sources or historical events.

-- Adapted from the Library of Congress

Primary Source Examples in the Humanities

• Letters and diaries
• Historical newspaper and magazine articles (factual accounts)
• Government documents, laws, and records
• Interviews and oral history
• Creative works like music, painting, and literature
• Photographs and recordings

Primary Source Examples in the Sciences

• Articles reporting on original research--typically in peer-reviewed and scholarly journals
• Results of scientific experiments and clinical trials--should typically include research methodology used

Secondary sources, like biographies, histories, and criticism, analyze and interpret primary sources.