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What are primary and secondary sources?
Primary sources are the evidence of history, original records or objects created by participants or observers at the time historical events occurred or even well after events, as in memoirs and oral histories. Primary sources may include but are not limited to: letters, manuscripts, diaries, journals, newspapers, maps, speeches, interviews, documents produced by government agencies, photographs, audio or video recordings, born-digital items (e.g. emails), research data, and objects or artifacts (such as works of art or ancient roads, buildings, tools, and weapons).
Primary Sources on the Web: Finding, Evaluating, Using. Reference and User Services Information, a Division of the American Library Association.
Some tips for locating primary sources in individual databases, OneSearch and EBSCOhost databases are provided below.
"Primary Sources vs. Secondary Sources" The Hartness Library, Community College of Vermont
Our Brittanica Original Sources database provides easy access to primary sources, documents and personal accounts covering many subject areas.
Many other databases contain primary source materials. Here are a few that make it easy to limit your search to primary sources.
Note: You may have to sign in with your CCAC NetID.
Many Gale databases provide primary source materials. Here are few popular Gale databases that provide the limiter Primary Sources:
To limit to Primary Sources in these databases, click on Advanced Search underneath the Search box. Enter your search terms. Scroll down to By Content Type and click beside Primary Sources.
To view Primary Source Links in Gale World Scholar Latin America & the Caribbean, enter your search terms in the Search box. Click on the down arrow beside More and select Primary Source Links. Click Search Primary Source Links.
Facts on File (Infobase) databases make searching for primary sources quick and easy. Here are some Facts on File (Infobase) Databases that allow you to limit your search to Primary Sources:
After conducting your initial search, click on Primary Sources at the top of the page to limit your search.
Searching Facts on File History Databases from One Search Box
Go to https://libguides.ccac.edu/FactsOnFile. Click on History Research Center to search all of the databases listed above from one search box. After conducting your initial search, click on Primary Sources at the top of the page to limit your search.
Primary source materials can also be found in EBSCOhost databases. Here are a few EBSCOhost databases that allow you to limit your search to Primary Source Document:
In the Advanced Search screen, enter your search terms. Under the Special Limiters, Publication Type, click on Primary Source Document.
Click the gold Search button at the bottom of the page.
Searching Multiple EBSCOhost Databases from One Search Box
Go to EBSCOhost databases at https://libguides.ccac.edu/EBSCOhost. Click on the boxes beside the databases listed above.
Click Continue.
In the Advanced Search screen, enter your search terms.
For each database, under the Special Limiters, Publication Type, click on Primary Source Document. If you do not select Primary Source Document for each database, your results will not be limited to primary sources.
Click the gold Search button at the bottom of the page.