LibGuides: English and English Composition: Primary vs. Secondary Sources

Primary Sources

Primary Sources are materials created during the historical time period or event.

Examples of Primary Sources

(RADAR) Repository of AUC Digital collections, Archives, and Research
Digital Repository of the AUC! Explore thousands of items including theses, dissertations, faculty scholarship, archival materials, audio, video and more.
AUC Archives Research Center-Finding Aids
This is a direct link to the Finding Aids platform that hosts the Archives Research Center's collection. This can also be accessed by searching in the library's catalog.
Oxford African American Studies Center
The Oxford African American Studies Center combines the authority of carefully edited reference works with sophisticated technology to create the most comprehensive collection of scholarship available online to focus on the lives and events which have shaped African American and African history and culture.--from Oxford
Archives Unbound
Archives Unbound presents topically-focused digital collections of historical documents that support the research and study needs of scholars and students at the college and university level. Collections in Archives Unbound cover a broad range of topics from the Middle Ages forward-from Witchcraft to World War II to twentieth-century political history. Collections are chosen for Archives Unbound based on requests from scholars, archivists, and students.--from GALE Cengage Learning

Secondary Sources are materials that discuss the historical time period or event.

Examples of Secondary Sources

Finding Resources
The Finding Resources page contains mostly secondary sources with some materials containing primary.
Popular Sources
Since the popular sources are made of current events they are secondary sources.
Open Access Materials
This page contains a mixture of primary and secondary materials.