Learning to locate, label and use
Primary & secondary sources

Thanks to the Minnesota Historical Society for this video

Dig into these great primary and secondary sources

WHAT ARE secondary sources?

  1. A secondary source is usually a published book or article by an author who was not an eyewitness or participant but is basing their interpretation of history on primary sources, research and study.
  2. ​Secondary sources provide useful background information. They are good for getting an understanding of your topic and the specifics of your topic.
  3. The best ones feature bibliographies used by the author(s) in their own research (look for primary sources recommended by the authors of your sources).
Examples of Secondary Sources
  • Biographies
  • History textbooks
  • Documentaries
  • Interviews with scholars
  • Books about the topic written by historians
  • Articles about the topic
  • ​Most web sites

What are primary sources?

  1. A primary source is a piece of information about a historical event or period in which the creator of the source was an actual participant in or a contemporary of a historical moment.
  2. The purpose of primary sources is to capture the words, the thoughts, and the intentions of the past.
  3. Primary sources help interpret what happened and why it happened.
  4. Examples can include: documents, artifacts, historic sites, speeches, songs, letters, journals, or other written and tangible items created during the historical period being researched.
  5. Find GREAT Primary Sources right here!
Examples of Primary Sources
  • Diaries
  • Autobiographies
  • Government records
  • Photographs
  • Interviews with participants
  • Manuscript collections
  • Newspapers from the era
  • Letters
  • Music of the time period
  • Artifacts
  • ​Many more...

it's important to keep track of the sources that you used and share your research with the world in your annotated bibliography

The the words "Annotated Bibliography" to learn how to make a high-quality Annotated Bibliography!