Primary sources
Learning objectives
At the end of this module, you will able to identify:
- examples of primary sources
- the advantages of using primary sources
- Australian libraries with large primary source collections
- electronic databases which index Australian primary source collections.
What are primary sources?
Primary sources are original records or documents created by someone who lived at the time of the event you are studying. These sources enable you to get as close as possible to what actually happened.
Examples of primary sources include:
- historical manuscripts
- parliamentary debates and papers
- Bills, Acts and Explanatory Memoranda
- old magazine and newspaper articles
- speeches and interviews
- letters, diaries, memoirs and autobiographies
- statistical data
- works of art, photographs, films or videos
- audio recordings
- unpublished lab notes
- court and legal documents.
Journal articles
Journal articles are not usually regarded as primary sources. However, there is a significant class of journal articles which fit into this category. These are articles which provide the details of a particular research project or experiment.
To be regarded as a primary source, such articles should include sufficient information to enable a subsequent researcher to reconstruct the steps involved in the original investigation. As a general rule, this means that the article must include the following:
- an introduction that sets out the aims of the report and the hypothesis proposed
- a section that details the methods and/or materials used
- the results obtained
- a discussion
- a conclusion indicating whether the hypothesis was proven or unproven.
 | An example of a published article which is also primary source S J Marsden and G S Bellamy (2000) Microhabitat characteristics of feeding sites used by diving duck Aythya wintering on the grossly polluted Manchester Ship Canal, UK, Environmental Conservation, 27 (3), 278-283. Look at this example of a scientific article. Why do you think that this article qualifies as a primary source? What distinguishes it from other articles which report quantitative research? Can you think of examples (from your own reading) of articles that do not qualify as primary sources? |
A common problem is when a scientific article leaves out details of the experimental procedure, leading to failures on the part of other scientists to replicate the original results. In such cases, successful replication will depend on access to the primary source material: the original lab notes.
Why are primary sources useful?
Primary sources are invaluable for a number of reasons. They serve as the raw material for serious enquiry.
Later sources (termed secondary or tertiary sources) add layers of interpretation which separate you from the actual event. Close reading of primary sources will often allow you to draw your own conclusions.
Primary sources are not necessarily objective. They represent the views of specific individuals at a single point in time.
Even official records (such as census documents) are not free from bias. If you work extensively with primary sources, you need to develop some rules for critical assessment.
 | Some helpful advice with primary sources Primary sources: Evaluating, Lafayette College Libraries & Academic Information Resources, 6 May 2005 Read this page and ask yourself if any of the issues discussed are relevant to your research. |
 | When is a primary source not a primary source? An Australian book written in 1956 on the famous English botanist Sir Joseph Banks, who died in 1820, would be a secondary source if you were researching late eighteenth century science. If you were researching attitudes towards science in Australia during the 1950s, such a book would be a primary source. The important point is the degree to which the author of the source depends on other, earlier authors. |
Published and unpublished materials
Primary sources come in two forms: published and unpublished materials. Published editions can usually be found using library catalogues. Where a source is unpublished, you will need to refer to specialised finding aids.
The Reference Collection in the University Library holds printed works that you can use to find published and unpublished primary sources.
Major libraries across Australia collect unpublished primary sources. The National Library of Australia in Canberra has a collection of over 1.8 million manuscripts (hand-written documents). The State Library of NSW also has a large collection, with items dating back to the first years of European settlement. In addition to major libraries, government archives, such as the NSW State Archives, have their own holdings.
The University Library's Special Collections include a range of primary sources, such as pamphlets and newsletters, old play typescripts, nineteenth century letters, photocopies and microfilms of medieval music manuscripts, recordings of Aboriginal speakers, eighteenth century books and ephemera relating to anti-war movements in twentieth century Australia.
Printed guides to Australian published and unpublished primary sources are included in the Reference Collection at R994.
There are also online guides that assist you in finding Australian primary sources. Those for individual institutions include:
- State Library of New South Wales
- NSW State Archives
- National Library of Australia
- Archives of Australia
- National Film and Sound Archive
Databases indexing primary sources
You can find institutions with archival holdings using the Directory of Archives of Australia or the Register of Australian Archives and Manuscripts.
The Library subscribes to the Australian Historic Records Register (AHRR). This is a list of manuscripts and unpublished materials in private hands in Australia. Coverage includes letters, diaries, photographs, financial records, posters, sketches, recipe books, catalogues, minute books, registers and other material. It contains material relevant to all aspects of life in Australia from settlement to 1988.
| Finding Indigenous Australians in the Archives Archival records relating to Indigenous Australians, Archives of Australia, 21 July 2006 More than fifty-five Australian institutions have archival records which relate to the experiences of Indigenous Australians since European settlement. This page provides a starting point for the investigation of the records. Examine the range of records held and consider how archival information might be used to enrich our understanding of Indigenous history. What issues need to be resolved before we can interpret these archival records sensitively? |
Summary
This module dealt with the following topics:
- different types of primary sources
- the benefits of using primary sources
- the Australian libraries with large holdings of primary sources
- databases which index Australian primary source collections.
 | Self-test Try these quick self-test questions to assess what you have learnt from this module. |