LibGuides: HIST 630: Research Seminar in World History: Primary Sources

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What are Primary Sources?

Primary sources are materials created at the time of the topic you are researching, or by an eyewitness to the topic/event. Primary sources enable historians to get as close as possible to documentation of what likely actually happened during a historical period or event. For the purposes of History 630, you are working to identify chronicles or annals, that document what an eyewitness experienced during your topic focus.

Examples of Primary Sources

Primary sources are first-hand accounts of an event or time in history that has yet to be interpreted by another person.

Examples of primary sources include:

diaries, journals, letters, interviews, speeches, memos, manuscripts and other first-person accounts
memoirs and autobiographies
official records such as government publications, census data, court reports, police records
minutes, reports, correspondence of an organization or agency
newspaper and magazine articles written during the time of the event
photographs, paintings, film and television programs, audio recordings which document an event
research such as opinion polls which document attitudes and thought during the time of an event
artifacts such as objects, tools, clothing, etc. of the time period or eve+

Internet Sources for Locating Primary Sources

In ternet Ancient History Sourcebook

The Ancient History Sourcebook includes links to visual and aural material, since art and archeology are far more important for the periods in question than for later history. The emphasis remains on access to primary source texts for educational purposes.

Internet Medieval History Sourcebook

The Internet Medieval History Sourcebook is part of the Internet History Sourcebook Project, dealing not only with ancient, medieval, and modern Western history, but also with the histories of Africa, China, science, and sexuality, to name only a few.

Online Medieval & Classical Library

A collection of seminal literary works of Classical and Medieval civilization. Digital text presented is based on previously published editions of these works.

On-Line Reference Books for Medieval Studies

EuroDocs

Links connect to European primary historical documents that are transcribed, reproduced in facsimile, or translated.
In addition you will find video or sound files, maps, photographs or other imagery, databases, and other documentation.
The sources cover a broad range of historical happenings (political, economic, social and cultural).
The order of documents is chronological wherever possible. Links to Italy and Greece for documentation on Prehistory and Roman Empire (Italy) and Ancient Greece.

Western manuscripts to c. 1500--Bodleian Library

This site provides information about and often images of the manuscript collection held by the Bodleian Library at the University of Oxford.

Oxford Digital Library

General access point to all digital collections as Oxford University.

Early Manuscripts at Oxford University

Digital facsimiles of complete manuscripts held at Oxford University and not just limited to the Bodleian holdings.

British Library--Digitised Manuscripts

The 'Digitised Manuscripts' section of The British Library website provides access to fully digitised manuscripts held at the Library and their descriptions

Le manuscrit medieval - The Medieval Manuscript

This blog is dedicated to the great manuscript scholar Léopold Delisle (1826-1910), and to François Duine, clericus dolensis (1870-1924), and (almost exclusively!) to medieval manuscripts, up to and including their relationships with early printing.

Domesday Book
A highly detailed survey and valuation of all the land held by the King and his chief tenants, along with all the resources that went with the land in late 11th century England.

Perseus Project