Finding and Using Primary Sources. Guide at Duke Libraries
Terminology: Primary Sources
The term archive describes the administrative unit taking responsibility for fiscal and legal considerations in preserving and giving access to the archival material.
The term “primary sources” describes the value of the materials from the point of view of the researcher as “his/her/their” evidence and witness to the event or phenomenon being studied.
Primary Source: "In scholarship, a document or record containing firsthand information or original data on a topic, used in preparing a derivative work. Primary sources include original manuscripts, periodical articles reporting original research or thought, diaries, memoirs, letters, journals, photographs, drawings, posters, film footage, sheet music, songs, interviews, government documents, public records, eyewitness accounts, newspaper clippings, etc." (ODLIS). In literary research, the author's works are considered a primary source.
Finding Primary Sources through Background Research. Tracing Sources Back to Archives and Collections.
Reference Works
Biography and Bio-Bibliography
- For notable figures, a bio-bibliography will include notes on who holds the Nachlass/Vorlass, Fonds, or other materials. Start with the comprehensive biographical databases at Duke, like Biography In Context ; Biography Reference Center ; World Biographical Information System Online (WBIS Online) . You can also use Worldcat to combine the name of a person with the word biography / bio-bibliography.
- Explore Linked Data, for example, information based on the VIAF authority files. Look for links to data in the search results and catalog record. Authority files show you all the versions of how a name is spelled; they associate works with an author, and they establish relationships between authors.
General Bibliographies
Subject Databases (Bibliographic Indexes)
- Refined search vocabulary will lead to articles about primary sources. Use the native interface of the subject database. Go to Research Databases click ALL SUBJECTS to open the drop down menu, and find databases by discipline.
Published Editions and Historical Critical Editions of Source Materials and Works
- Check footnotes, foreword, bibliography, etc. to see if the editor describes the archive the materials came from, as well as the amount of unpublished materials still available in that archive. Historical Critical Editions are particularly meticulous in documenting the context of a work. Network with the editorial team, if possible.
Blogs & Listservs
- OpenEdition - look at the academic blogs, find people who can give practical local advice
- H-Net, Listservs
- Twitter
- Academic Society websites; many National Libraries of the World websites explain organization of information.
Who, What, Where, When; Formulating Theories
Who is the likely producer or author of the source you seek? What kinds of materials did they produce to reach their particular audience? When did they produce the source, and what events or phenomena were going on at the time? Brainstorming these types of questions in a deliberate way can help you identify the types of archives you might need to look for:
- State and federal archives
- Communal
- Church or religious
- Nobility, Family, Genealogy
- Economic
- Parliament, parties, organizations
- Press and Media
- Education institutions or research centers
- Web archives
- Special collections with materials of various provenance
- Other
Refining Search Vocabulary
Primary source types vary by discipline. What is the primary source that would lend evidence to your research? Adding a type of source to your search string helps refine the results.
Types of Primary Sources
- Archival materials, Archives
- Atlases, Maps
- Autobiography
- Bibliography
- Broadsides
- Case Studies
- Charts, Diagrams, Statistics, Data
- Census
- Computer file
- Concordances
- Correspondence, Letters,
- Diaries
- Government Document
- Historic Journal, Newspaper, Popular Magazine
- Historical Critical Edition
- Incunabula or Early Modern Print
- Institutional or Corporate Records, including Publisher Records
- Manuscripts (can mean Medieval Manuscript, drafts of Primary Work, Handwritten Docs)
- Original Expression in a Special Format (pictorial works - photograph - motion picture -audio file - illustrations, etc.)
- Published primary work, like novel, drama, poetry, theory, philosophy
- Sermons, Speeches
- Nachlass (Papers of a notable figure)
Building Search Strings
The more detailed you search string is, the more relevant your results will be. Here is an excerpt from a guide at MIT.
Format
Format, (type of material), including books, computer files, maps, mixed materials, serials, scores, sound recordings, and visual materials. If you already know the format of your source, select it after you enter your search string.
