For additional information on primary sources, see our guide to primary sources.
See our Primary Source Timeline to browse a selection of primary source databases organized by coverage dates and locations.
A primary source is an account by an eyewitness, the first recorder of an event, the results of an original experiment, or documents produced at the time an event occurred. A primary source may be printed or electronic material and can include:
Primary source material can also include creative works such as films, poetry, music, or art, and artifacts such as stone points, pottery, furniture, and buildings. Dickinson College owns primary material in fields such as Native American and scientific history, and also has many indexes and databases which will help you locate primary material.
Primary sources can be difficult to define, if you have questions you can ask a librarian or consult with your professor.