HIS3942: The Transnational Twentieth Century

 What are Primary Sources?

Primary sources are the foundation of historical research. They are sources that provide first-hand or contemporary documentation of the time period, culture, events, people, and places you are researching.

Some examples of types of primary sources include:

• Format does not determine whether or not a source is a primary source. Documents that have been transcribed or digitized are still considered primary sources.
• Whether or not a source is a primary source sometimes depends on context.