Primary Sources
Primary sources are documents and other items that were created by someone who lived during the historical event or time period that you are studying.
Primary sources can include:
- government documents
- memoirs
- diaries
- letters
- court transcripts
- speeches
- marriage/birth/death certificates
- artifacts
- photos
- paintings
Unsure about how to go about finding primary sources? Check out our handy guide: How To Find Primary Sources For History
- Also try our primary source databases.
Secondary Sources
Secondary sources are items created by someone who did not live during the time period that you are studying. A good secondary sources uses primary sources to interpret and analyse a particular event or time period.
Secondary sources can include:
- articles
- essays
- criticisms
- books