What exactly does it mean for a source to be PRIMARY? And what counts as a primary source?

A common definition of primary sources is that they are original sources of information about the topic being studied, and that they do not contain any intermediary explanation of the topic by another party.

Because many of us first learned about primary sources in a history class, we usually think of sources that provide a contemporaneous perspective on a period of time or historical event - like diaries and letters - when we think of primary sources.

But the term “primary source” is frequently used outside of the field of history. And what a primary source looks like will vary greatly depending on the discipline and the information needed.

It may be helpful to imagine three students, each looking for primary sources. All of their topics focus on environmental issues, but they are doing their research in three different disciplines, so their primary sources will look quite different from one another.

Tracy is studying environmentalism in folk music. She could of course look at letters, diaries, or even tweets from musicians who have written and performed songs about the environment. But, she will also want to examine the music itself, the scores, recording session masters, and performance footage. Physical artifacts like instruments or concert memorabilia can also be informative. These will all contain first-hand information about the music she is studying and the attitudes of the artists who created it, without anyone else’s interpretation or analysis.

Hilda, on the other hand, is doing a research project on environmental justice and access to clean water. Primary sources for this project might include environmental department reports along with census demographic data of the communities affected. She could use the library databases to find research articles that examine the health impacts associated with living in a particular geographic location or in proximity to certain industries. So far, these are mostly quantitative studies focusing on numerical statistics, but she may also want to include qualitative studies like ethnographic research that include interviews or survey responses. Additionally, she may find bills, acts, or legislation that have been introduced or passed to address pollution issues.

Rachel is interested in learning about the environmental consequences of using broad-spectrum insecticides to kill backyard mosquitoes. For this she would likely want to find evidence and data that demonstrates the impact of these chemicals on the flora and fauna with which they come into contact. This can be found in journal articles or scientific reports written by those who have conducted field research in this area. She may compare these sources to the marketing materials of the companies that provide mosquito control services. These may include independently commissioned research into the chemicals’ safety and effectiveness.

While the primary sources that each of these students need are very different from each other, the thing they have in common is that they provide an unmediated representation of the subject matter.

It’s important to recognize that the designation of primary source is as much about the purpose for which it is being used as it is about the source itself. That is: a source that would be considered a primary source for one purpose, might be a secondary source used in a different research project.

Most scholarly research or original data can be considered a primary source. In many cases you will be able to find these kinds of sources through the library’s catalog or article databases, and in other cases you will find them in other places like government websites or other archives.

If you have any questions about finding or identifying primary sources, ask a librarian for help!