Definition and Examples of Primary Sources

What is a primary source?

The definition of primary source materials is not always a straightforward one. While some researchers believe when and why the document was created determines its eligibility as a primary source, others hold that how the document is used classifies whether or not it is a primary source. Primary sources at the State Library Resource Center:

• Refer to a first hand account or evidence of an event or topic
• Use the words of the witness or the initial recorder of an event
• Reflect the viewpoint of the observer as well
• May be used to produce a secondary source

Examples of primary sources include:

• Autobiographies and memoirs
• Letters and correspondence
• Original documents, such as vital records
• Photographs and recordings
• Records of an organization
• Newspaper or magazine articles that are written at the time of an event
• Journals and diaries
• Speeches
• Artifacts

For more information on library research and the use of historic library materials, consult our Guide to Library Research.