A primary source is a document or record containing firsthand information or original data on a topic. Primary sources are created contemporaneously with the topic they describe. Examples of primary sources include:
- Original manuscripts
- Diaries
- Memoirs
- Letters
- Journals
- Photographs
- Drawings
- Interviews
- Government documents
- Public records
- Eyewitness accounts
- Artifacts
Summary of characteristics:
- Original, first-hand account of an event or time period
- Usually written or made during or close to the event or time period
- Original, creative writing or works of art
- Factual, not interpretive
