View source for Template:Primary source

{{for|Wikipedia's policy on the use of primary sources|WP:PSTS}}
[[File:Pompeii-couple.jpg|thumb|right|This wall painting found in the Roman city of [[Pompeii]] is an example of a primary source about people in Pompeii in Roman times.]]

'''Primary source''' is a term used in a number of disciplines to describe source material that is closest to the person, information, period, or idea being studied.<ref>[http://www.lib.umd.edu/guides/primary-sources.html Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Sources], UM Libraries</ref><ref>[http://www-public.jcu.edu.au/libcomp/assist/guides/azguides/JCUPRD_030412 Primary, Secondary & Tertiary Sources] - James Cook University</ref>

In the study of [[history]] as an academic discipline, a primary source (also called '''original source''' or '''evidence''') is an artifact, a document, a recording, or other source of information that was created at the time under study. It serves as an original source of information about the topic. Similar definitions are used in [[library science]], and other areas of scholarship. In journalism, a primary source can be a person with direct knowledge of a situation, or a document created by such a person.

Primary sources are distinguished from [[secondary sources]], which cite, comment on, or build upon primary sources, though the distinction is not a sharp one. A secondary source may also be a primary source depending on how it is used.<ref>[http://www.ithacalibrary.com/sp/subjects/primary Research Guides: Primary and secondary sources] - Ithaca College Library</ref> "Primary" and "secondary" are relative terms, with sources judged primary or secondary according to specific historical contexts and what is being studied.<ref name=Handlin/>{{rp|118-246}}<ref name=Kragh>{{Cite book| last=Kragh| first=Helge| title=An Introduction to the Historiography of Science| year=1989| publisher=Cambridge University Press| isbn=0521389216| url=http://books.google.com/books?id=d2zy_QSq2b0C&pg=PA121&lpg=PA121&dq=%22secondary+source%22+historiography|page=121|quote=[T]he distinction is not a sharp one. Since a source is only a source in a specific historical context, the same source object can be both a primary or secondary source according to what it is used for.| ref=harv| postscript=<!-- Bot inserted parameter. Either remove it; or change its value to "." for the cite to end in a ".", as necessary. -->{{inconsistent citations}}}}</ref>

==The significance of source classification==
===History and historiography===
[[Image:donfelipe.jpg|thumb|360px|right|From a letter of Philip II, King of Spain, 16th century]]
The delineation of sources as primary and secondary first arose in the field of [[historiography]], as historians attempted to identify and classify the sources of historical writing.{{Citation needed|date=November 2007}} In scholarly writing, an important objective of classifying sources is to determine the independence and reliability of sources.<ref name=Kragh/> In contexts such as historical writing, it is almost always advisable to use primary sources if possible, and that "if none are available, it is only with great caution that [the author] may proceed to make use of secondary sources."<ref name=Cipolla>{{Cite book|last=Cipolla|first=Carlo M.|title=Between Two Cultures:An Introduction to Economic History|page=27|publisher=W. W. Norton & Co.|year=1992|url=http://books.google.com/?id=GIqRTlepwmoC&printsec=frontcover&dq=cipolla|isbn=9780393308167|ref=harv|postscript=<!-- Bot inserted parameter. Either remove it; or change its value to "." for the cite to end in a ".", as necessary. -->{{inconsistent citations}}}}.</ref> Sreedharan believes that primary sources have the most direct connection to the past, and that they "speak for themselves" in ways that cannot be captured through the filter of secondary sources.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Sreedharan|first=E.|title=A Textbook of Historiography, 500 B.C. to A.D. 2000|year=2004|publisher=Orient Longman|isbn=8125026576|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=AIGq85RVvdoC&pg=PA302&dq=historiography+%22primary+source%22+%22secondary+source%22|page=302|quote=it is through the primary sources that the past indisputably imposes its reality on the historian. That this imposition is basic in any understanding of the past is clear from the rules that documents should not be altered, or that any material damaging to a historian's argument or purpose should not be left out or suppressed. These rules mean that the sources or the texts of the past have an integrity and that they do indeed 'speak for themselves', and that they are necessary constraints through which past reality imposes itself on the historian.|ref=harv|postscript=<!-- Bot inserted parameter. Either remove it; or change its value to "." for the cite to end in a ".", as necessary. -->{{inconsistent citations}}}}</ref>

Many scholars have commented on the difficulty in producing secondary source narratives from the "raw data" which makes up the past. Historian/philosopher [[Hayden White]] has written extensively on the ways in which the rhetorical strategies by which historians construct narratives about the past, and what sorts of assumptions about time, history, and events are embedded in the very structure of the historical narrative. In any case, the question of the exact relation between "historical facts" and the content of "written history" has been a topic of discussion among historians since at least the 19th century, when much of the modern profession of history came into being.{{Citation needed|date=November 2007}}

As a general rule, modern historians prefer to go back to primary sources, if available, as well as seeking new ones, because primary sources, whether accurate or not, offer new input into historical questions, and most modern history revolves around heavy use of [[archive]]s for the purpose of finding useful primary sources. On the other hand, most undergraduate research projects are limited to secondary source material.{{Citation needed|date=November 2007}}

===Other fields===
In scholarly writing, the objective of classifying sources is to determine the independence and reliability of sources.<ref name=Kragh/> Though the terms ''primary source'' and ''secondary source'' originated in [[historiography]]{{Citation needed|date=August 2008}} as a way to trace the history of historical ideas, they have been applied to many other fields. For example, these ideas may be used to trace the history of scientific theories, literary elements, and other information that is passed from one author to another.

In [[scientific literature]], a primary source is the original publication of a scientist's new data, results, and theories. In [[political history]], primary sources are documents such as official reports, speeches, pamphlets, posters, or letters by participants, official election returns, and eyewitness accounts. In the [[history of ideas]] or [[intellectual history]], the main primary sources are books, essays and letters written by intellectuals.

A study of [[cultural history]] could include fictional sources such as novels or plays. In a broader sense primary sources also include physical objects like photographs, newsreels, coins, paintings or buildings created at the time. Historians may also take [[Artifact (archaeology)|archaeological artifacts]] and oral reports and interviews into consideration. Written sources may be divided into three main types.<ref>{{Cite book | last1 = Howell | first1 = Martha C. | last2 = Prevenier | first2 = Walter. | title = From reliable sources : an introduction to historical method | year = 2001 | publisher = Cornell University Press | location = Ithaca, N.Y. | isbn = 0801485606 | pages =20–22}}</ref>

*'''[[Narrative]] sources''' or '''literary sources''' tell a story or message. They are not limited to fictional sources (which can be sources of information for contemporary attitudes), but include [[diary|diaries]], [[films]], [[biographies]], leading philosophical works, [[scientific works]], and so on.
*'''Diplomatic sources''' include [[charter]]s and other legal documents which usually follow a set format.
*'''Social documents''' are records created by organizations, such as registers of births, tax records, and so on.

In the study of [[historiography]], when the study of history is itself subject to historical scrutiny, a secondary source becomes a primary source. For a biography of a historian, that historian's publications would be primary sources. Documentary films can be considered a secondary source or primary source, depending on how much the filmmaker modifies the original sources.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Cripps |first=Thomas |authorlink= |coauthors= |year=1995 |month= |title=Historical Truth: An Interview with Ken Burns |journal=American Historical Review |volume=100 |issue=3 |pages=741–764 |doi=10.2307/2168603 |jstor= 2168603|publisher=The American Historical Review, Vol. 100, No. 3 |postscript=. |ref=harv }}</ref>

The Lafayette College Library, for example, provides the following synopsis of primary sources in several basic areas of study:
<blockquote>"The definition of a primary source varies depending upon the academic discipline and the context in which it is used.<br>
*In the [[humanities]], a primary source could be defined as something that was created either during the time period being studied or afterward by individuals reflecting on their involvement in the events of that time.
*In the [[social sciences]], the definition of a primary source would be expanded to include numerical data that has been gathered to analyze relationships between people, events, and their environment.
*In the [[natural sciences]], a primary source could be defined as a report of original findings or ideas. These sources often appear in the form of research articles with sections on methods and results."<ref>[http://library.lafayette.edu/help/primary/definitions "Primary Sources: what are they?", Lafayette College Library]</ref></blockquote>

==Finding primary sources==
Although many documents that are primary sources remain in private hands, the usual location for them is an [[archive]]. These can be public or private. Documents relating to one area are usually spread over a large number of different archives. These can be distant from the original source of the document. For example, the [[Huntington Library]] in California houses a large number of documents from the United Kingdom.

In the US, digital primary sources can be retrieved from a number of places. The [[Library of Congress]] maintains several online Digital Collections where they can be retrieved. Examples of these are [http://www.memory.loc.gov American Memory] and the [http://lcweb2.loc.gov/pp/pphome.html Prints and Photographs Online Catalog (PPOC)]. The [[National Archives and Records Administration]] also has such a tool, called [http://aad.archives.gov/aad/ Access to Archival Databases (AAD)].

In the UK, [[the National Archives]] provides a consolidated search of its own catalogue and a wide variety of other archives listed on the Access to Archives index. Digital copies of various classes of documents at the National Archives (including wills) are available from DocumentsOnline. Most of the available documents relate to England and Wales. Some digital copies of primary sources are available from the [[National Archives of Scotland]]. Many County Record Offices collections are included in Access to Archives, while others have their own on-line catalogues. Many County Record Offices will supply digital copies of documents.

In the [[Republic of Ireland]], available digital documents include the censuses of 1901 and 1911 which are available from the [[National Archives of Ireland]].

In Australia, the [[National Archives of Australia]] has digitised a number of classes of records and will produce digitised copies of suitable documents on demand.

==Using primary sources==
History as an academic discipline is based on primary sources, as evaluated by the community of scholars, who report their findings in books, articles and papers. [[Arthur Marwick]] says "Primary sources are absolutely fundamental to history."<ref name=Marwick>Marwick, Arthur. "Primary Sources: Handle with Care". In Sources and Methods for Family and Community Historians: A Handbook edited by Michael Drake and Ruth Finnegan. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997. ISBN 052146580X</ref> Ideally, a historian will use all available primary sources created by the people involved, at the time being studied. In practice some sources have been destroyed, while others are not available for research. Perhaps the only eyewitness reports of an event may be [[memoir]]s, [[autobiographies]], or oral interviews taken years later. Sometimes the only documents relating to an event or person in the distant past were written decades or centuries later. This is a common problem in [[classical studies]], where sometimes only a summary of a book has survived. Potential difficulties with primary sources have the result that history is usually taught in schools using secondary sources.

Historians studying the modern period with the intention of publishing an academic article prefer to go back to available primary sources and to seek new (in other words, forgotten or lost) ones. Primary sources, whether accurate or not, offer new input into historical questions and most modern history revolves around heavy use of [[archive]]s and special collections for the purpose of finding useful primary sources. A work on history is not likely to be taken seriously as scholarship if it only cites secondary sources, as it does not indicate that original research has been done.<ref name=Handlin/>

However, primary sources - particularly those from before the 20th century - may have hidden challenges. "Primary sources, in fact, are usually fragmentary, ambiguous and very difficult to analyse and interpret."<ref name=Marwick/> Obsolete meanings of familiar words and social context are among the traps that await the newcomer to historical studies. For this reason, the interpretation of primary texts is typically taught as part of an advanced college or postgraduate history course, although advanced self-study or informal training is also possible.

The following questions are asked about primary sources:
* What is the tone?
* Who is the intended audience?
* What is the purpose of the publication?
* What assumptions does the author make?
* What are the bases of the author's conclusions?
* Does the author agree or disagree with other authors of the subject?
* Does the content agree with what you know or have learned about the issue?
* Where was the source made? (questions of [[systemic bias]])

In [[journalism]], [[education]], and other fields, these are sometimes known as the [[five Ws]] - [[wiktionary:who|who]], [[wiktionary:what|what]], [[wiktionary:when|when]], [[wiktionary:where|where]] and [[wiktionary:why|why]]

==Strengths and weaknesses of primary sources==
In many fields and contexts, such as historical writing, it is almost always advisable to use primary sources if possible, and that "if none are available, it is only with great caution that [the author] may proceed to make use of secondary sources."<ref name=Cipolla/> In addition, primary sources avoid the problem inherent in secondary sources, where each new author may distort and put their own spin on the findings of prior cited authors.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Ross|first=Jeffrey Ian|title=Taking Stock of Research Methods and Analysis on Oppositional Political Terrorism|journal=The American Sociologist|volume=35|issue=2|year=2004|pages=26–37|doi=10.1007/BF02692395|quote=The analysis of secondary source information is problematic. The further an investigator is from the primary source, the more distorted the information may be. Again, each new person may put his or her spin on the findings.|ref=harv|postscript=<!-- Bot inserted parameter. Either remove it; or change its value to "." for the cite to end in a ".", as necessary. -->{{inconsistent citations}}}}</ref> However, a primary source is not necessarily more of an authority or better than a secondary source. There can be [[bias]] and other tactic used to twist historical information.
{{quote|"Original material may be ... prejudiced, or at least not exactly what it claims to be."|David Iredale<ref>{{Cite book  | last1 = Iredale | first1 = David | title = Enjoying archives: what they are, where to find them, how to use them | year = 1973 | publisher = Newton Abbot, David and Charles, | location = | isbn = 0715356690 | pages = }}</ref>}} These errors may be corrected in secondary sources, which are often subjected to [[peer review]], can be well documented, and are often written by historians working in institutions where methodological accuracy is important to the future of the author's career and reputation. Historians consider the accuracy and [[objectivity (science)|objectiveness]] of the primary sources they are using and historians subject both primary and secondary sources to a high level of scrutiny. A primary source such as a [[Diary|journal]] entry (or the online version, a [[blog]]), at best, may only reflect one individual's [[opinion]] on events, which may or may not be truthful, accurate, or complete. Participants and [[Witness|eyewitness]]es may misunderstand events or distort their reports (deliberately or unconsciously) to enhance their own image or importance. Such effects can increase over time, as people create a narrative that may not be accurate.<ref>Barbara W. Sommer and Mary Kay Quinlan, ''The Oral History Manual'' (2002)</ref> For any source, primary or secondary, it is important for the researcher to evaluate the amount and direction of bias.<ref>Library of Congress, " Analysis of Primary Sources" [http://memory.loc.gov/learn/lessons/psources/analyze.html online 2007]</ref> As an example, a government report may be an accurate and unbiased description of events, but it can be [[censorship|censored]] or altered for [[propaganda]] or [[cover-up]] purposes. The facts can be [[distort]]ed to present the opposing sides in a negative light. [[Barrister]]s are taught that evidence in a court case may be truthful, but it may be distorted to support (or oppose) the position of one of the parties.

== Classifying sources  ==
Many sources can be considered either primary and secondary, depending on the context in which they are examined.<ref name=Kragh/> Moreover, the distinction between ''primary'' and ''secondary'' sources is subjective and contextual,<ref>{{Harvnb|Dalton|Charnigo|2004|p=419 n.18}}.</ref> so that precise definitions are difficult to make.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Delgadillo|first1=Roberto|last2=Lynch|first2=Beverly|title=Future Historians: Their Quest for Information|url=http://crl.acrl.org/content/60/3/245.full.pdf+html|journal=College & Research Libraries|year=1999|pages=245–259, at 253|quote=[T]he same document can be a primary or a secondary source depending on the particular analysis the historian is doing.|ref=harv|postscript=<!-- Bot inserted parameter. Either remove it; or change its value to "." for the cite to end in a ".", as necessary. -->{{inconsistent citations}}}}</ref> [[Investigative journalism]], for example, is a primary source of information.<ref name=Yale>{{cite web|title=What are primary sources?|url=http://www.yale.edu/collections_collaborative/primarysources/primarysources.html|work=Yale Collections Collaborative Project |publisher=© 2008 Yale University|accessdate=27 August 2011}}</ref><ref name=Harvard>{{cite web|last=Seward; Outreach editor at The Wall Street Journal|first=Zachary M.|title=DocumentCloud adds impressive list of investigative-journalism outfits|url=http://www.niemanlab.org/2009/09/documentcloud-adds-impressive-list-of-investigative-journalism-outfits/|work=Project news|publisher=Harvard's Nieman Journalism Lab|accessdate=27 August 2011}}</ref><ref name=Columbia>{{cite book|last=Aucoin|first=James|title=The evolution of American investigative journalism|url=http://innopac.library.unr.edu/record=b2362033|work=Academic work|publisher=Columbia, Mo. : University of Missouri Press, c2005|accessdate=27 August 2011}}</ref><ref name=UNESCO>{{cite web|title=Story-based inquiry; a manual for investigative journalists|url=http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0019/001930/193078e.pdf|work=Manual|publisher=UNESCO Publishing|accessdate=27 August 2011}}</ref>  A book review, when it contains the opinion of the reviewer about the book rather than a summary of the book, becomes a primary source.<ref name="Princeton">{{Cite web|url=http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=book%20review|title=Book reviews |accessdate=September 22, 2011 |publisher=Princeton |year=2011 |author=Princeton|work=Scholarly definition document }}</ref><ref name="VirginiaTech">{{Cite web|url=http://www.lib.vt.edu/find/byformat/bookreviews.html|title=Book reviews |accessdate=September 22, 2011 |publisher=Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University |year=2011 |author=Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University|work=Scholarly definition document }}</ref>

If a historical text discusses old documents to derive a new historical conclusion, it is considered to be a primary source for the new conclusion. Examples in which a source can be both primary and secondary include an obituary<ref name=Duffin>{{Cite book|last=Duffin|first=Jacalyn|title=History of Medicine: A Scandalously Short Introduction|url=http://books.google.com/?id=__oDQ6yDO7kC&pg=PA366&dq=%22secondary+source%22+historiography|year=1999|publisher=University of Toronto Press|isbn=0802079121|page=366|ref=harv|postscript=<!-- Bot inserted parameter. Either remove it; or change its value to "." for the cite to end in a ".", as necessary. -->{{inconsistent citations}}}}.</ref> or a survey of several volumes of a journal counting the frequency of articles on a certain topic.<ref name=Duffin/>

Whether a source is regarded as primary or secondary in a given context may change, depending upon the present state of knowledge within the field.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Henige|first=David|title=Primary Source by Primary Source? On the Role of Epidemics in New World Depopulation|journal=Ethnohistory|volume=33|issue=3|year=1986|pages=292–312, at 292|doi=10.2307/481816|jstor=481816|publisher=Ethnohistory, Vol. 33, No. 3|quote=[T]he term 'primary' inevitably carries a relative meaning insofar as it defines those pieces of information that stand in closest relationship to an event or process ''in the present state of our knowledge''. Indeed, in most instances the very nature of a primary source tells us that it is actually derivative.…[H]istorians have no choice but to regard certain of the available sources as 'primary' since they are as near to truly original sources as they can now secure|ref=harv|postscript=<!-- Bot inserted parameter. Either remove it; or change its value to "." for the cite to end in a ".", as necessary. -->{{inconsistent citations}}}}</ref> For example, if a document refers to the contents of a previous but undiscovered letter, that document may be considered "primary", since it is the closest known thing to an original source; but if the letter is later found, it may then be considered "secondary"<ref>{{Harvnb|Henige|1986|p=292}}.</ref>

In some instances, the reason for identifying a text as the "primary source" may devolve from the fact that no copy of the original source material exists, or that it is the oldest extant source for the information cited.  Alternatively, when a printed version of a document is made from an electronic version, the electronic version may be termed the primary document.<ref>{{Cite book  | last1 = Kofoed | first1 = Jens Bruun | title = Text and history : historiography and the study of the biblical text | year = 2005 | publisher = Eisenbrauns | location = Winona Lake, Ind. | isbn = 1575060949 | pages =42}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last1=Ambraseys|first1=Nicholas|last2=Melville|first2=Charles Peter|last3=Adams|first3=Robin Dartrey|title=The Seismicity of Egypt, Arabia, and the Red Sea|year=1994|isbn=0521391202|publisher=Cambridge University Press|url=http://books.google.com/?id=dtVqdSKnBq4C&pg=PA7&dq=historiography+%22primary+source%22+%22secondary+source%22|page=7|quote=The same chronicle can be a primary source for the period contemporary with the author, a secondary source for earlier material derived from previous works, but also a primary source when these earlier works have not survived|ref=harv|postscript=<!-- Bot inserted parameter. Either remove it; or change its value to "." for the cite to end in a ".", as necessary. -->{{inconsistent citations}}}}</ref>

Whether a source is primary also depends on its age. For example, encyclopedias are generally considered [[tertiary source]]s, but Pliny's ''[[Naturalis Historia]]'', originally published in the 1st century, is a primary source for information about the Roman era.

==Forgeries==
Historians must occasionally contend with forged documents, purporting to be primary sources. These forgeries have usually been constructed with a fraudulent purpose, such as promulgating legal rights, supporting false pedigrees, or promoting particular interpretations of historic events. The investigation of documents to determine their authenticity is [[diplomatics]].

For centuries, [[Pope]]s used the forged [[Donation of Constantine]] to bolster the secular power of the [[Papacy]]. Among the earliest forgeries are false [[Anglo-Saxon Charters]], a number of 11th and 12th century forgeries produced by [[monastery|monasteries]] and [[abbey]]s to support a claim to land where the original document had been lost or never existed. One particularly unusual forgery of a primary source was perpetrated by [[Sir Edward Dering, 1st Baronet|Sir Edward Dering]], who placed false [[monumental brass]]es in a [[parish church]].<ref>Everyone has Roots: An Introduction to English Genealogy by Anthony J. Camp, published by Genealogical Pub. Co., 1978</ref> In 1986, [[Hugh Trevor-Roper]] "authenticated" the [[Hitler diaries]], which were later proved to be forgeries. Recently, forged documents have been placed within the [[The National Archives#2005 discovery of forgeries|UK National Archives]] in the hope of establishing a false [[provenance]].<ref>{{Cite web | title = Update on document authenticity | url = http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/news/stories/104.htm | publisher =The National Archives | date =22 February 2006 | accessdate = 4 July 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | last =Leppard | first =David | title = Forgeries revealed in the National Archives - Times Online | url = http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article3867853.ece | publisher =The Sunday Times | date =May 4, 2008 | accessdate = 4 July 2011}}</ref> However, historians dealing with recent centuries rarely encounter forgeries of any importance.<ref name=Handlin>[[Oscar Handlin]] and [[Arthur Meier Schlesinger]], ''Harvard Guide to American History'' (1954)</ref>{{rp|22-25}}

==See also==
{{multicol}}
*[[Historiography]]
*[[Source criticism]]
*[[Source literature]]
*[[Source text]]
*[[Historical document]]
*[[Historical editorial]]
{{multicol-break}}
{{Portal|Library and information science}}
*[[Secondary source]]
*[[Tertiary source]]
*[[Original research]]
*[[UNISIST model]]
*[[Scientific journalism]]
*[[Scholarly method]]
{{multicol-end}}

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}
<div class="references-small">
*{{Cite book |title=A Student's Guide to History |last=Benjamin |first=Jules R |authorlink= |coauthors= |year=2004 |publisher=Bedford/St. Martin's |location=Boston |isbn=0-312-40356-9 |pages= |ref=harv |postscript=<!-- Bot inserted parameter. Either remove it; or change its value to "." for the cite to end in a ".", as necessary. -->{{inconsistent citations}} }}
*{{Cite book |title=Using Internet Primary Sources to Teach Critical Thinking Skills in History |last=Craver |first=Kathleen W |authorlink= |coauthors= |year=1999 |publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Westwood, CT |isbn=0-313-30749-0 |pages= |ref=harv |postscript=<!-- Bot inserted parameter. Either remove it; or change its value to "." for the cite to end in a ".", as necessary. -->{{inconsistent citations}} }}
*Wood Gray (1991) [1964]. ''Historian's Handbook: A Key to the Study and Writing of History''. 2nd ed. Waveland Press; 1991. ISBN 978-0-88133-626-9.
*{{Cite book  | last1 = Marius | first1 = Richard | last2 = Page | first2 = Melvin Eugene | title = A short guide to writing about history | year = 2005 | publisher = Pearson Longman | location = New York | isbn = 978-0-321-22716-4 | pages = }}
*Sebastian Olden-Jørgensen (2005). ''Til kilderne!: introduktion til historisk kildekritik'' (in Danish). [''To the sources: Introduction to historical source criticism'']. København: Gads Forlag. ISBN 978-87-12-03778-1.
</div>

==External links==
<div class="references-small">
;Primary sources repositories
*[http://www.war-letters.com Primary Sources from World War One and Two] Database of mailed letters to and from soldiers during major world conflicts from the Napoleonic Wars to World War Two.
*[http://www.footnote.com/page/110676809_primary_source_documents/ Footnote - Over 60,000,000 Primary Source Documents]
*[http://www.uidaho.edu/special-collections/Other.Repositories.html A listing of over 5000 websites] describing holdings of manuscripts, archives, rare books, historical photographs, and other primary sources
*[http://www.archivegrid.org Find primary sources] in the collections of major research libraries using [[ArchiveGrid]]

;All sources repositories
*[[:s:|Wikisource]] – ''The Free Library'' – the [[Wikimedia]] project that collects, edits, and catalogs all [[source text]]s

;essays and descriptions of primary, secondary and other sources
*[http://www.lib.umd.edu/special/research/ "Research Using Primary Sources"] from the [[University of Maryland Libraries]]
*[http://library.ucsc.edu/ref/howto/primarysecondary.html "How to distinguish between primary and secondary sources"] from the [[University of California, Santa Cruz]] Library
*[http://www.library.jcu.edu.au/LibraryGuides/primsrcs.shtml "Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary sources"] from [[James Cook University]] Library
*[http://primary-sources-series.joan-of-arc-studies.org/ Joan of Arc: Primary Sources Series] -- Example of a publication focusing on primary source documents.
*[http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/PrimarySources.html Finding primary sources] from the [[University of California, Berkeley]] library
*[http://www.bgsu.edu/colleges/library/assistance/page41012.html "Primary versus secondary sources"] from the [[Bowling Green State University]] library
*[http://chnm.gmu.edu/worldhistorysources/whmfinding.php Finding primary sources in world history]
*[http://archivopedia.com/wiki/index.php?title=Terms Guide to Terminology] used when describing archival and other primary source materials.
*[http://www.thehistorysite.org thehistorysite.org] Links to many online history archival sources.
</div>

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