The Library of Congress makes millions of unique primary sources available online to everyone, everywhere. There are a few different ways to discover the best primary sources for you.

Oct 17, 2025 · Primary sources provide first-hand testimony or direct evidence concerning a topic under investigation. They are created by witnesses or recorders who experienced the events …

Jun 20, 2018 · What is a primary source? A primary source is anything that gives you direct evidence about the people, events, or phenomena that you are researching. Primary sources …

In the study of history as an academic discipline, a primary source (also called an original source) is an artifact, document, diary, manuscript, autobiography, recording, or any other source of …

Aug 21, 2025 · What Is a Primary Source? A primary source is an original object or document created during the time under study.

Nov 24, 2025 · A primary source (also called original source) is a document, recording, artifact, or other source of information that was created at the time under study, usually by a source with …

Primary sources are original materials, regardless of format. Primary sources may be transformed from their original format into a newer one, such as when materials are published or digitized, …

Jun 3, 2025 · A primary source is an eyewitness account of an event or data obtained through original statistical or scientific research. What are some examples of primary sources?

Jan 15, 2025 · In the natural and social sciences, the results of an experiment or study are typically found in scholarly articles or papers delivered at conferences, so those articles and …

Primary sources are the raw materials of history—original documents and objects that were created at the time under study. They are different from secondary sources, accounts that …