A primary source is generally defined as a document or physical object that was written or created during the time under study. These sources were present during an experience or time period and offer an inside view of a particular event. Depending on your research topic and perspective, primary sources can include:
Image Credit: Chippendale, Thomas, 1718-1779. 1754. Designs: title page from "The Gentleman and Cabinet- maker's Director". Place: Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University, New Haven, CT. https://library.artstor.org/asset/ARTSTOR_103_41822001406113.]
Unpublished primary sources are original documents and objects created by individuals but not formally published. Unpublished materials are typically found in archives, libraries, and museums. While researching unpublished materials often requires a physical visit, many make them available online.
Published primary Sources include a wide range of publications, including first-person accounts, memoirs, diaries, letters, newspapers, statistical reports, government documents, court records, photographs, and more. Some of these materials were not published at the time of their creation but have subsequently been published in a collected volume (e.g. The World War One Reader edited by Michael S. Neiberg.)
Unpublished primary sources are original documents and objects created by individuals but not formally published. Unpublished materials are typically found in archives, libraries, museums, or galleries. This often requires a physical visit, however, many make them available online through digital collections.
Many institutions will describe their collections in catalog records or finding aids. Three search tools you can use to find these include:
Find published sources by using Library Catalogs, Research Guides, and published bibliographies. To find primary sources in catalogs try using the following strategies:
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