“FAQ ABOUT PRIMARY SOURCES”

1. WHAT EXACTLY IS A PRIMARY SOURCE?

A primary source is a document or visual which is created by a participant or observer for communication of an idea, not for research.

2. Can You Provide Examples of Primary Sources?

Primary sources may include the following:
Government documents such as the Declaration of Independence,
the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights
Scriptures and sacred books related to a particular faith or creed
Videotapes and audiotapes of actual events
Photographs and paintings (Created as a direct response to the event around the time it happened or to a person(s) during his/her lifetime.)
Original editions and facsimiles
Speeches, position papers, diaries and editorials
Law books such as state codes
Interviews
Raw data from research studies
Period articles (What was said about an event around the time it happened.)
Books that created change (Mein Kampf, Das Capital, Origin of Species, Silent Spring)

3. If I am doing research about German immigration to America during the 1700's, and I find a book written in 1750 by a German immigrant entitled A Journey to Pennsylvania , is this a primary source?

Yes. The book is written by a German immigrant who has described his actual voyage from Germany to Pennsylvania in 1750.

4. I am researching Charles Lindbergh's flight across the Atlantic and have found an article describing the flight in a New York Times article dated May 22, 1927. Is this a primary source?

Yes. Since Charles Lindbergh and many witnesses to this event are no longer living, this article describing his flight right after it happened would constitute a primary source.

5. I am researching the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and have found a book entitled The Day Lincoln Was Shot which was published in 1955. Is this a primary source?

No. While the author may have cited primary sources for this work, it is one step removed from the actual eyewitness accounts, interviews, newspaper articles, etc. which described the assassination on or immediately after April 14, 1865.

6. I am researching the latest treatments for breast cancer and have found an article about the discovery of a gene linked to breast cancer in a 1995 issue of Science News . Is this a primary source?

No. Science News publishes summaries of original studies. You would need to find where the original study was published in its entirety.

7. What are the Advantages of Primary Sources?

Primary sources generally do the following:
Offer an immediate picture of events
Often reveal information not found elsewhere
Do not interpret the evidence after the fact
Aid in the discovery of truth about a person, event, issue, etc.

8. What are the disadvantages of primary sources?

Primary sources can be:
Difficult to read
Representative of one point in time with no explanation of preceding or following events
Biased, one-sided and emotional because of a limited perspective

9. How Do I evaluate the reliability of a primary source?

Look at the following:
Qualifications of the author (subject expert versus free-lance writer)
Reputation of the publisher (Is the article published by the propaganda wing of a particular government?)
Accuracy - To what extent does the document reflect its historical context ( the values and experiences of the time period)
Point of View - For what purpose was the document written? What does the source assume? What does the document leave out?

10. What primary sources are available in the NCS Upper School Library?

Print Sources

R973.08 Annals of America Chronological record of American life
Ann from 1492-1976. Contains, laws, speeches, stories, on-the-scene reports, letters, etc.

R973 100 Key Documents in American Democracy
K44 Edited by Peter Levy

973 Documents of American History edited by Henry Steele Commager C736d

Nonprint Sources

Documentary Sources of Western Civilization
Birth of America 1763-1783
New York Times (School version 1851-1979)
National Archives and SIRS Publishers
"United States Expands West 1785-1842"
"Westward Expansion 1842-1912"
"Peace and Prosperity 1953-1961"
"The United States at War 1944"
"World War II The Home Front"

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