LibAnswers: Research & Reference

It will depend on your topic, but remember primary sources are  original records created at the time historical events occurred or well after in the form of memoirs and oral histories. Primary sources may include letters, manuscripts, diaries, journals, newspapers, speeches, interviews, memoirs, documents produced by government agencies such as Congress or the Office of the President, photographs, audio recordings, moving pictures or video recordings, research data, and objects or artifacts such as works of art or ancient roads, buildings, tools and weapons. Think of your topic and maybe an associated agency. If it is an event, you can limit your search to newspapers. There are many places on the Web to look for primary resources online including Library of Congress and the National Archives. Start with Google and search your topic and add primary sources. Within the Digital Library start on our History guide (Databases by Subject) and try searching your topic in one of the recommended websites or if it is an Ohio topic, the History & Archives Digital Media about Ohio.