Primary sources refer to first-hand accounts of a period or an event that the author directly experienced or observed. Secondary sources on the other hand, are generally based on primary source material and involve analysis of this material. Examples of primary sources are letters, diaries, correspondence, newspaper articles (written at the time), interviews, government documents, autobiographies, memoirs, speeches, videos and photographs.
Locating Primary Sources in the Library
Library Catalogue
Some primary sources are reprinted in books. Do a keyword search on your topic and combine your keyword(s) with any of the following terms, using the word "and" -:
- sources
- diaries
- correspondence
- letters
- personal narratives
- interviews
For example, type:
World War 1914 and sources
immigrants and correspondence
Please note when doing a keyword search, some of the items in your results list might not be pertinent to your search. Check the subject headings of the various titles to ensure that one of the above headings is appended to at least one of the subject headings.
Reference Collection
Some primary sources may be held in the Reference collection. Examples of these are:
| Documents of American History |
REF E 173 C66 1973 |
| Historical Documents of Canada |
REF FC 163 H58 v.5 |
| A Source-book of Canadian History |
REF FC 10 R436 1964 |
Periodical Indexes
Use print indexes that cover the period you are researching. For example:
| British Columbia Provincial Library Newspaper Index |
PN 4728 Z92345 1900/1970-1971/80 |
| Canadian Periodical Index |
1920 - 1996 |
| International Index to Periodicals |
1907 - 1955 |
| Readers Guide to Periodical Literature |
1900 - 2000 |
Newspapers
Newspapers are a good source of primary information. Find related newspaper articles published at the time of the event or during the period that is being researched. The Library has the following titles:
| Columbian |
1861 - 1889, 1899 - 1983 |
| Financial Post |
1907 - 1997, and current 6 months |
| Globe & Mail |
1849 - present |
| Province |
1894 - 1983, and current 4 months |
| Daily Colonist |
1858 - 1896 |
| The British Colonist (also called the Daily Colonist) |
1858 - 1910 |
Online Sources
A number of primary sources have been made available on the Internet, mainly through national libraries and universities. For example:
Early Canadiana Online
Contains "primary sources in Canadian history from the arrival of the first Europeans to the late 19th century, with particular emphasis on literature, women's history, native studies, and the history of French Canada".
American Memory
This Library of Congress site contains collections of rich primary source documents and images relating to US history. An excellent resource.
Google News Archive
Note: Some sources are more acceptable than others as primary sources. If in doubt, ask your instructor.
