Remember, primary sources are first-hand accounts during a particular time period, often recorded by
participants or observers. Types of primary sources include:
• Written material such as diaries, journals, letters, speeches, manuscripts, notes, autobiographies, and memoirs.
• Published items such as research reports or surveys, which report on contemporary events
• Photographs, films, videos, news broadcasts and transcripts, audio recordings, etc.
• Physical artifacts, such as art objects, costumes, buildings, maps, monuments, etc.
• Governmental and organizational information, such as statistics, reports, press releases, propaganda, records, surveys, correspondence, publications, etc.
• Materials which provide a sociological or psychological snapshot of a certain time period, such as public opinion polls or other expressions of popular culture such as television shows, movies, music, best-sellers, advertisements, etc.
How do I Search in the Myrin Library Catalog for Primary Sources?
Keyword Searching
For primary sources, these terms can be useful:
• "Sources"
• "Personal Narratives"
• "Description and Travel"
• "Facsimiles"
• "Charters, Grants, Privileges"
• "early works to 1800"
• "periodicals"
• "Interviews"
• "Correspondence"
• "Pamphlets"
Try entering your terms along with words like "correspondence," "diary" or "diaries," "records" and "documents," "sources," "papers," “interviews,” and "letters".
Example: women AND work AND interviews.
When you find a record that you like, check the SUBJECT HEADINGS. If you find a phrase that looks particularly interesting there, click it to see other works that have the same subject heading.
Online Primary Sources: