A primary source is an original object or document - the raw material or first-hand information, source material that is closest to what is being studied.
Primary sources vary by discipline and can include:
Historical and legal documents such as personal papers, government documents, legal codes, treaties
Eye witness accounts: newspapers or transcripts of radio or TV news from the time the event took place
Social media posts
Results of an experiment (Lab reports)
Statistical data
Maps
Creative writing: novels, stories, poetry, plays
Religious texts
Art objects: drawings, photos, paintings, sculptures, medical illustrations
Architecture: blueprints as well as the finished structures
Film, TV, video
Many sources can be treated as a primary text, i.e. a webpage produced by a political group.
Archives Unbound presents more than 300 topically-focused digital collections of historical documents covering a broad range of topics from religion, history, the Holocaust, LGBTQ history, global studies, international relations, and many more. Click the Browse Collections tab to see the full list of content available.
Two major collections from the British Library which includes 48 newspapers from the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. All content is fully searchable including front pages, editorials, birth and death notices, and advertisements.
With digital facsimile images of both full pages and clipped articles for hundreds of 19th century U.S. newspapers and advanced searching capabilities, researchers will be able to research history in ways previously unavailable. For each issue, the newspaper is captured from cover-to-cover, providing access to every article, advertisement and illustration.
All faculty, students, and staff can access the New York Times website directly by setting up their access via the Eckerd Library subscription. An initial one-time registration from ON-CAMPUS is all you need to access the NY Times online from your laptop, tablet, or phone from anywhere in the world. You can connect your existing NY Times account or create a new one. Access includes articles from 1851 - current, The New York Times Magazine, current access to the Spanish and Chinese editions, as well as access via mobile app (except NYT Crossword app). See our First Time Account Setup Instructions for more information about the process.
The Times Digital Archive is an online, full-text facsimile of more than 200 years of the Times, one of the most highly regarded resources for eighteenth-, nineteenth-, and twentieth-century news coverage, with every page of every issue from 1785 to 2012. This historical newspaper archive allows researchers an unparalleled opportunity to search and view the best-known and most cited newspaper in the world online in its original published context.
The Times Digital Archive is an online, full-text facsimile of more than 200 years of the Times, one of the most highly regarded resources for eighteenth-, nineteenth-, and twentieth-century news coverage, with every page of every issue from 1785 to 2012. This historical newspaper archive allows researchers an unparalleled opportunity to search and view the best-known and most cited newspaper in the world online in its original published context.
This archive illuminates the experiences of the LGBTQ community from 1940 to present. Historical records of political and social organizations founded by LGBTQ individuals are featured, as well as publications by and for the LGBTQ community, including personal correspondence and interviews, gay and lesbian newspapers from more than 35 countries, reports, policy statements, and other documents related to gay rights, health, and activism.
Slavery and Anti-Slavery includes collections on the transatlantic slave trade, the global movement for the abolition of slavery, the legal, personal, and economic aspects of the slavery system, and the dynamics of emancipation in the U.S. as well as in Latin America, the Caribbean, and other regions.
Much of history is one-sided, mainly focused on the male perspective; women's voices are not often heard. Women's Issues and Identities provides the opportunity to witness history from the female perspective. Global in scope, the archive presents materials covering the social, political, and professional aspects of women's lives and offers a look at the roles, experiences, and achievements of women in society. A wide range of primary sources provide a close look at some of the pioneers of women's history, a deep dive into the issues that have affected women, and the many contributions they have made to society.
HathiTrust is a collaborative partnership of major research institutions and libraries worldwide. It is a shared digital repository of library books and journals converted from print owned by research institutions. To login, choose Eckerd College from the list of partner institutions and enter your Eckerd credentials.