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Primary resources are sources that are usually created at the time of an event. Primary resources are the direct evidence or first hand accounts of historical events without secondary analysis or interpretation. For example, if you were writing a paper on World War I, a solider's diary or a newspaper article written during World War I would be considered primary resources.
Prior
to visiting an archival institution, it is important that you understand your topic.
To do this, do some reading and background research on your topic.
Try using secondary resources available in your library, such as
dictionaries, bibliographies and encyclopedias, when you begin your
research journey. Secondary resources often provide you with a historical context for the primary resources that you will find in an archives.
Secondary resources "are
one step removed from the original [primary] source, usually
describing, summarizing, analyzing, evaluating, derived from, or based
on primary source materials." Secondary resources offer an analysis, description or interpretation of primary resources (first-hand original material such as letters and diaries). For more
information on primary and secondary resources, please go to www.library.ubc.ca/hss/primary.html
Primary resource |
Secondary resource |
diary |
article explaining the significance and context of the diary |
letters from a solider to his mother during World War I |
book or encyclopedia articles about World War I |
original sketches/illustrations for a children's book |
biography or articles on the artist |
business records (e.g. employee identification cards) from a large forestry company |
Newspaper article or book on the company's historical development |
Keep
in mind that your research question may evolve as you consult these
sources. You will focus your topic many times before you step foot into
an archives!
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Try using materials found in the Reference section of a library, such as an general or subject specific encyclopedia. |
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Pay special attention to the footnotes and bibliographies of any source you consult! They are often rich sources of information. |
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Or, try doing a keyword search in the library catalogue to find some general books written on your area of interest. |
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You may also want to search a journal index or database specific to your subject area to find some review articles that will provide you with a general overview of your topic. |
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You
may also want to speak with a reference librarian, your professor, TA
or a scholar about the topic you are interested in researching. |
For more information on the research process, you may wish to contact the UBC Writing Centre or consult the Student to Scholar researching and writing tutorial |
