Primary sources in the humanities and social sciences are original documents, artifacts, or other items created during the time being studied.  They provide a first hand perspective from a specific time period.  If it is a created item, it reflects direct personal knowledge and is an original source of information.  Some examples include newspapers from the time period, diaries, letters, music manuscripts, photographs, and documentaries.

The term is defined differently in the natural sciences research.  Primary sources in the hard sciences are studies or experiments that provide new data, results, and theories.  Primary sources in science publications typically follow the formal scientific format, with sections denoted as abstract, introduction, methods, results, conclusion, and references.

If you have any questions about primary sources, feel free to ask one of the subject specialists or contact the reference desk.