Primary Sources are materials that contain direct evidence, first-hand testimony, or an eyewitness account of a topic or event under investigation. They can be published or unpublished items in any format (the original or a surrogate format such as a photocopy, a digital copy, a printed edition, or a microfilm edition), from handwritten letters, to objects, to the built environment.
Secondary Sources are works that analyze and interpret other sources. They use primary sources to solve research problems.
Primary vs. Secondary - The way you engage with a source determines whether it is a primary or secondary source for your project. Book reviews, for example, are typically considered secondary sources. If the subject of your research is book reviews themselves, however, they would be primary sources for your project.
Please consult the College Archives page for detailed information on finding and using archival materials in your research.
Archives, whether personal papers or organizational records, are primary sources created, acquired, or received by an individual or organization and preserved because of their enduring value. Archives are typically housed in special collections departments of libraries. They are described in documents called finding aids which detail the scope and content of the collection, provide the date span and quantity of materials, and provide background information on the creator of the collection.
