What is a primary source?
A primary source is a record of events that are described or recorded by someone who either participated in or witnessed the events firsthand.
Examples include:
- Newspaper accounts
- Letters, Diaries, Notebooks
- Creative Works, Music, Artwork
- Interviews & Oral Histories
- Propaganda
- Maps
- Clothing
How do I find primary sources?
There are several places to look for primary source materials. It will partly depend on what type of primary source material you might be looking for and the date range.
For example, if you are specifically interested in newspapers from a particular time, you can check out Newspapers.com or our other Newspapers Databases.
In addition to the primary source databases at the University Libraries, you can also consider other online collections such as:
Or you can look for primary sources housed on the 4th floor of Belk Library and Information Commons as part of our Special Collections Research Center.
How do I find primary sources in the Special Collections Research Center?
The Special Collections Research Center provides access to a variety of primary sources through the W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection, the Stock Car Racing Collection, Rare Books & Manuscripts, and University Archives & Records Management Services. Primary sources can be searched for in the Digital Collections, Finding Aids, and library catalog. Additional resources are available on the Search Tools webpage.
Examples of collections include:
- The Appalachian
- Appalachian Oral History Project Interviews
- Preserving and Sharing the Story of the Lincoln Heights Rosenwald School
- Shull's Mill Photographs
- Watauga Democrat: 1880 - 1890
How do I cite primary sources?
- See the Citation Guidelines guide for general information and resources on how to cite materials with MLA, APA, and Chicago.
- See the Special Collections Research Center Citation Format Guidelines (PDF) for information on how to cite Special Collections materials.
- If you find a primary source in a library database, look for the cite feature and use the automatically generated citation as a starting point.