A record of a first-hand observation of an event, a report of scientific research, or an original work of fiction or art. Manuscripts of the above Government documents, newspaper articles, audio and video recordings of news, interviews, etc. Journal articles can also be primary sources, as long as the author observed the event first hand. In the sciences, journal articles are often primary sources. Primary sources can give you extra information and insight when you are doing your research.
Primary sources can be hard to understand without some knowledge of their context.
You will need background knowledge of the historical period in which they were created, and of the people who created them. When doing your background reading, consult the bibliographies of the encyclopedias, books, and journal articles you read. The bibliography will list any primary sources that the author used. You will use different methods to find different types of primary sources. The charts below provide you with tips on searching for primary sources in the NEOS Libraries Catalogue , and in various print indexes and online databases .