LibGuides: Thesis & Capstone Research : Primary Sources

Primary Sources vs. Secondary Sources

Finding Primary Sources

Primary sources can be more difficult to find than other types of resources. While some may be collected in books or databases, others may be held only at specialized archives and only a single copy of a particular primary resource may exist. However, there are some resources that can be used to search for them.

FIT's Special Collections & College Archives (SPARC)
If you are looking for primary resources about FIT, fashion, textiles, or other creative industries, FIT's SPARC might have just what you need. More information about this unit of the Library is available on the next tab or on their website.
Library of Congress Digital Collections
This site from the Library of Congress contains many historical materials they have digitized, including photos, film & audio recordings, letters, newspapers, and much, much more. While not all of these materials are primary sources, many are and they are available online.
National Archives
The U.S. National Archives maintains a guide to finding and use primary sources.
WorldCat
This tool that searches across collections from libraries all over the world includes the option to limit your results to archival materials, which are often primary sources. To use this search limiter, navigate to the Advanced Search feature and select Archival Material from the Format dropdown menu.

Understanding Primary & Secondary Sources

Primary sources are records of events created as they occurred, or by eye witnesses.

Graphic by Shonnmharen. CC BY 2.0

A Secondary Source takes the account of multiple eyewitnesses or primary sources and creates a record that considers an event from many points of view.

Graphic by Shonnmharen. CC BY 2.0