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What is a primary source?
A primary source is material that provides firsthand evidence of a historic topic or event. They are created by an actual witness or one who experienced the event that was recorded.
It is:
- Usually an individual account, with the personal viewpoint of the author
- Usually not formally published, although published documents can be a primary source if they come from the time period that is being discussed, and was written by someone with firsthand knowledge of the event
- An autobiography, memoir, or oral history that was captured later in life
Types of primary sources:
- Audio and video recordings
- Autobiographies, memoirs, and oral histories
- Government documents, court records, and census bureau data
- Laws, statutes, and regulations
- Letters
- Literary manuscripts
- Maps
- Memos and other reports created by an organization
- Newspaper and magazine articles (written at the time)
- Personal journals or diaries
- Photographs and pieces of art
- Physical artifacts (furniture, clothing, tools)
- Posters and postcards
What is a secondary source?
A secondary source is material that interprets or comments on a historical event after it has passed.
It is:
- Created by someone who did not experience the historical event firsthand.
- Created with a reader or audience in mind
- Usually formally published
Types of secondary sources:
- Biographies
- Commentaries and criticisms
- Histories
- Reference sources
- Scholarly journals and articles
- Textbooks
Primary vs. Secondary Sources Here at Barnard
| Topic | Primary Source | Secondary Source |
|---|---|---|
| Student life at Barnard College |
Alma Mater: design and experience in the women's colleges from their nineteenth-century beginnings to the 1930s by Helen Lefkowitz Horowitz |
|
| Founding of Barnard College |
Personal Papers and Collections Of Annie Nathan Meyer Barnard Beginnings by Annie Nathan Meyer |
Annie Nathan Meyer: Barnard godmother and Gotham gadfly by Myra Gallant Goldenberg
|
| Margaret Mead |
Biographical Files of Margaret Mead Photographs of Margaret Mead |
Margaret Mead, a life by Jane Howard |
When would I use a primary source? What is the value of using a primary source?
- Explore documentation (words and images) from direct participants or witnesses . . . firsthand knowledge of events
- Discover information that has not been previously written about
- Read documentation that has been not interpreted by others
- Discover different participant perspectives without interpretation from other
Where do I find a primary source?
Here are a few places to find primary source materials . . .
o List of Collections & Records
o Description of Manuscripts and Collections
o Catablog – a more detailed description of collections
o CLIO – for a catalog record of collection (enter <barnard college archives> in search box)
o For additional images and use of images contact Astrid Cravens, Image Archivist
o For textual materials contact Marcia Bassett, College Archivist
o To view archival material in person, it is highly recommended to set up an appointment in advance of arrival. Additionally review the details about conducting research at Barnard before arrival.
- Columbia University Libraries
o Archival Collections Portal – Columbia institutional records, personal papers of Barnard alumnae and administration, corporate archives, personal papers for those unaffiliated with Columbia, and many other types of materials.
- New York State Archives, New York State Museum & New York State Library
o The Digital Collections – photographs, textual materials, artifacts, government documents, manuscripts, and other materials held by New York State Archives, New York State Museum & New York State Library
- The Library of Congress
o American Memory – “digital record of American history and creativity” from the Library of Congress and other institutions
How do I cite a primary source?
To cite a material from the Barnard College Archives, use the citation guide.
Your professor or the archival instituation may have a preferred way they would like you to cite primary sources.
