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Kraemer Family Library

Women's and Ethnic Studies Research

What is Primary Source Research?

These are items or original works that are a firsthand record of a topic. What is considered a primary source differs across different disciplines. 

The following are a list of examples of primary sources in various disciplines:

  • Anthropology, Archaeology: Ethnographies, surveys, articles describing research, cultural and historical artifacts
  • Communications, Journalism: News (printed, radio, TV, online), photographs, blogs, social media sites
  • Education, Political Science, Public Policy: Government publications, laws, court cases, speeches, test results, interviews, polls, surveys
  • Fine Arts: Original art work, photographs, recordings of performances and music, scripts (film, theatre, television), music scores interviews, memoirs, diaries, letters, autobiographies
  • History: Government publications, newspapers, photographs, diaries, letters, manuscripts, business records, court cases, videos, polls, census data, speeches, autobiographies
  • Language and Literature: Novels (fiction), plays, short stories poems, autobiographies
  • Psychology, Sociology, Economics: Articles describing research results of experiments, ethnographies, interviews, surveys, data sets
  • Sciences: Articles describing research and methodologies, documentation of lab research, research studies

WEST is an interdisciplinary field of study. That means your primary research may look different depending on the project you are working on at any given time. The examples of resources provided here lend themselves more toward the humanities and social sciences. However, your liaison librarian can help your find the resources you need if you reach out for help!

Do You Have to Cite Primary Sources?

Just because an item is in an archive, even a digital one, copyright still applies. You should always cite the archive in your research paper or other research project.

You should also ask before republishing something found in an archive. You may need to obtain permission to reprint or republish the material.

Archival citations vary, but good examples of citing archives can be important to see.