Primary Sources vs. Secondary Sources vs Tertiary sources
Primary sources are materials created during a time period or event , or by a person that you may be studying or researching. They are firsthand accounts and may also be referred to as contemporary accounts. They can be government documents or institutional records, artifacts, creative works, or other original publications of a particular time period.
Secondary sources contextualize primary sources. They may summarize, interpret, or provide commentary. They can be newspaper, magazine, or journal articles and other types of materials, but they are usually sources written by people who did not experience firsthand the events they are writing about.
Tertiary sources are collections of primary and secondary sources that may help you identify useful primary and secondary sources. Things like indexes, abstracts, guidebooks, manuals, or even a Wikipedia page fall into this category.
Search the CLIO Catalog to find primary sources by adding keywords to your search, or look for them in subject subheadings or in the Subject - Genre filter. Here are some examples: