Primary sources are documents such as diaries, letters, memoirs, speeches, original creative works such as poetry, novels, drama, scripts, theatrical works, or even original scientific research. They are important in academic research, because they constitute firsthand evidence presented by people, who have personally experienced an event in real time and have recorded it or written about it. Such sources give you the opportunity to examine these original testimonies without being affected by secondary opinions and ideas.
The following database includes historical primary source collections dating back to the medieval period. For information on how to access the database from off-campus, you may consult our off-campus access page.
Watch the following video to get a better idea of what primary and secondary sources are.
Accessing our databases indicates acceptance of our Acceptable use policy.
2022 John S. Bailey Library