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Harlem Renaissance: ENG 3412

Research help for the course, "Harlem Renaissance"

Videos & Tutorials on Primary & Secondary Sources

What's the Difference Between Primary & Secondary Sources?

How to Use Primary Sources

Why Use Primary Sources?

brown paper and black penPrimary sources are firsthand accounts of an event -- or original records created during that time period -- which do not contain any outside interpretation. Primary sources can include letters, diaries, or interviews; historical news reportage; original works of fiction, art, or music; testimony or speeches.

When and Why You Should Use Primary Sources:

  • You need a better understanding of an event, produced by someone who experienced or witnessed the event in question
  • You need to offer a view of history through the lens of unique, often profoundly personal, documents or objects
  • You need examples of different points of view from individuals whose stories might not have been told

Remember: Primary sources are the building blocks of historical research and should provide the foundation of your argument and interpretation, whereas secondary sources should inform and supplement the primary sources. Use your primary sources as evidence for answering your research question and write based on those sources, rather than “plugging them in” after the fact to bolster your argument. In short, primary sources should drive the paper, not the other way around.

Find Newspapers & Periodicals

Newspapers and periodicals are useful because they can contain original reviews of works as well as earlier, serialized versions of works which may offer textual variations. Newspapers also provide accounts of what was occurring when the work was published. Ultimately, newspapers are invaluable for their immediacy, recording history as it happened.

Find Ephemera and More

Ephemera is useful because its sheer variety (posters, maps, advertisements, trade cards, programs, etc.) provides a glimpse into a historical period's cultural, economic, and social customs & traditions.

Find Other Primary Source Databases

The Libraries has hundreds of databases just focused on primary sources. Browse some of the following lists. Read the descriptions to choose a relevant source. Or, take a look at the primary sources organized by sub-type and/or region on the English Language & Literature guide, the History guide, or the Newspapers guide.

Tips for Finding Print and Digital Primary Sources in Library Search

Many primary-source documents have been reproduced in books commonly held in research libraries. You can use Library Search to retrieve this material.

  • Enter your search terms and then select the Books & Media box.
  • Try adding keywords such as CorrespondenceDiariesInterviewsPersonal Narratives, and Sources along with your research topic to identify printed primary sources.
  • You can also filter for these terms under "Genre" to the left of your search results.
  • When you find a title of interest, such as personal narratives from the first World War, select the hyper-linked subjects in the item record to find additional titles. For example, the heading: World War, 1914-1918--Personal Narratives.