A primary source provides an original, first-hand, or direct account or record from a time period, place, or person. It is usually created, written, or made during or close to an event or time period, or by the person involved. A secondary source provides information that restates, examines, or interprets information from primary sources.
Searching sources by subjects
The table below shows examples of primary and secondary sources from different disciplines.
| Subject | Primary source | Secondary source |
|---|---|---|
| Science, Engineering, & Social Sciences | Peer-reviewed research articles, technical reports. Ex. Original research article about Huntington's disease |
Articles summarizing or discussing the results of original research. Ex. Article reviewing the research on Huntington's disease |
| History | Diaries, letters, original documents. Ex. The U.S. Constitution |
Biographies, books, journal articles. Ex. Legal analysis of the U.S. Constitution |
| Arts and Literature | Music scores, images, performance reviews, original works of literature. Ex. Original choreography for The Rite of Spring |
Analysis or commentary on primary sources, biographies, journal articles. Example: Journal article about Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice |
Searching for primary sources in Library Search
From the library homepage, you can use Library Search to help you find primary sources.
Enter a keyword that describes your topic. It is best to use nouns, such as the name of an event, person, or thing you are looking for. Examples: Burning Man, Maya Miller, Comstock Lode, Basque culture.
When you get a list of results, choose primary source formats that are relevant to your research using the Resource type filter. This will be either on the left side of your screen or in a menu under the filter icon, depending on the size of your screen. Choose Show More to see a complete list. Relevant primary source types might include the following formats, among others:
- Archival Material
- Manuscripts
- Datasets
- Government Documents
- Images
- Maps
- Videos
When finished, click Apply Filters, which will filter your results to only show those types of content.
Searching with primary source databases
You can also search for primary sources in a database. Go to the A-Z Databases page and select Primary Sources from the Types drop-down menu to see a list of different databases that contain primary source materials.
Searching for Nevada-related primary sources
If you are researching Nevada-related topics, you may also want to explore the collections in Special Collections and University Archives (SCUA). These collections may include photographs, manuscripts, artifacts, personal papers, digital items, and more. See Searching for Nevada-related primary sources for more information about SCUA and other local resources.