What Are Primary Sources?
A primary source is "first-hand" information, sources as close as possible to the origin of the information or idea under study. Primary sources are contrasted with secondary sources, works that provide analysis, commentary, or criticism on the primary source. In literary studies, primary sources are often creative works, including poems, stories, novels, and so on. In historical studies, primary sources include written works, recordings, or other source of information from people who were participants or direct witnesses to the events in question. Examples of commonly used primary sources include government documents, memoirs, personal correspondence, oral histories, and contemporary newspaper accounts.
- What is primary research and how do I get started?The OWL at Purdue has a helpful page about primary resources.
- Primary vs. Secondary Sources VideoThis short video uses the Apollo 11 mission to describe the difference between primary and secondary sources.
Where to Start: Primary Sources
Primary sources are often found in archives. Archives are a holding place for important historic materials. These materials can include legal documents, letters, diaries, ephemera, or even objects. There are archives held on UCLA's campus at UCLA Special Collections in YRL and at Special Collections in the Biomedical Library. To find out what items are in the holdings of an archive you need to search finding aids, which are guides to the collection. You can search the Online Archive of California for materials held in California, and through ArchiveGrid for materials held across the world. Remember, most archival collections are not digitized and you will need to visit the archive to see their holdings. Many archives will need advance notice to get the materials ready for you to view.
- Online Archive of California (OAC) This link opens in a new windowYou can search this website by institution or keyword. UCLA's finding aids can be searched directly from this site.
- ArchiveGrid This link opens in a new window
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Searches finding aids for historical documents, personal papers, and family histories held in libraries, museums, and archives around the world. Researchers searching ArchiveGrid can learn about the items in each of these collections, contact archives to arrange a visit to examine materials, and order copies.
UCLA Digital Library
The links below are for relevant collections in UCLA's Digital Library. These items have all been digitized for you to view online.
- AIDS Poster CollectionImages of AIDS Posters in the UCLA Special Collection's holdings.
- Index of Medieval Medical Images (IMMI)The Index of Medieval Medical Images project began in 1988 and aimed to describe and index the content of all medieval manuscript images (up to the year 1500) with medical components held in North American collections. The goal of this 2001 pilot project was to make a substantial sample of the images and descriptions available via a searchable database on the Web.
- Patent Medicine Trade Cards CollectionImages of medicine trade cards from UCLA's Special Collections.
Archives in California
The links below are to finding aids and websites of selected history of science archives in California. See note in Where to Start: Primary Sources (center column on this page) about searching for California-based special collections in the Online Archive of California.
- Alice Eastwood Papers at the California Academy of SciencesFinding aid for the papers of Alice Eastwood, 19th century botanist. Includes primary source material such as field notes, diaries, letters, photographs, memoirs, and other materials.
- Burndy Library at The Huntington LibraryThe Burndy Library is a collection of some 67,000 rare books and reference volumes; the collection also contains scientific instruments. This link takes you to results from a search in the Huntington Library Catalog for "Burndy Library Collection at the Huntington Library" as a Subject.
- CalTech ArchivesThe digital collection of the archives of the California Institute of Technology. Included in their collections are manuscripts, photographs, oral histories, artifacts, a digital media collection, online exhibits, and much more. Also included are images from rare books.
- Center for Oral History Research - Science and Medicine InterviewsFrom UCLA Library's Center for Oral History Research. Note: For interviews that have not yet been digitized, search the UCLA Library Catalog for the interviewee name to locate the printed transcript.
- Einstein Archives OnlineDigitized manuscripts, finding aid, gallery, and archival database of items from the Einstein Papers Project at Cal Tech and the Albert Einstein Archive at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
- University and Jepson Herbaria (UC Berkeley)The University and Jepson Herbaria Archives holds nearly 100 collections from botanists, extending from 1820 to the present day. Collections include primary source materials such as correspondence, field notes, manuscripts, reports, photographs, and maps focusing on California. Subjects covered include Mexican and Pacific expeditions and the formation of the Sierra Club and the Save-the-Redwoods League. Image collection included.
Bibliographies
These bibliographies are great sources to show what primary sources and archival materials are in existence.
- A Historical Catalogue of Scientific Periodicals , 1665-1900 byCall Number: Z7403 .G3 1985ISBN: 0824087526Date: 1985
Early American Scientific and Technical Literature by Call Number: Z7402 .B38 1990ISBN: 0810823187Date: 1990An annotated bibliography of scientific and technical books, pamphlets, and broadsides published in the US between 1665 and 1799.
