About primary sources
Primary sources can be either published or unpublished, and can be found in many formats, such as manuscripts, books, microfilm, photographs, video and sound recordings. Some primary sources are available in more than one format -- for example, a collection of manuscript letters may also have been published in book form, or may have been digitized and made available on the Internet. Begin by asking two basic questions:
What evidence was created?
For the most part, the evidence used by historians to answer historical questions was not created for that purpose. The evidence of the past -- official records, personal papers, video recordings, physical remains -- was created to serve the purposes of people with very different agendas. Nonetheless, it is very useful to think about some broad categories of evidence, in part because understanding these categories can help you find the material you need.
It is particularly useful to consider whether the material you need would have been published (newspapers, books) or would have had a more limited circulation (intra-office memos, personal correspondence, a private photo album.)
What evidence was saved, and where?
Think about who might have collected the material you're hoping to find:
Some examples:
Finally, keep in mind that the material you need may be scattered among several libraries and archives.
[ Content in this section is based on history libguides created by Elizabeth Z. Bennett, Princeton University ]
Primary sources are first-hand accounts of historical events, written or produced at the time of study.
These can be either published or unpublished, and can be found in many formats, such as manuscripts, books, microfilm, photographs, video and sound recordings. Some primary sources are available in more than one format; for example, a collection of manuscript letters may also have been published in book form, or may have been digitized and made available on the Internet.
Using the MSU Online Catalog and WorldCat, you can find primary texts using the following Subject terms:
MSU hosts a rich collection of primary texts. Look through the finding aids on the following sites and make an appointment to get dirty in the archives.
To conduct a broader search of archival materials: