Primary Sources are immediate, first-hand accounts of a topic, from people who had a direct connection with it (a participant or observer). Primary sources do not have to be used in their original form. They may be reproduced electronically, printed or published later and still be considered primary sources.
Examples:
Includes thousands of American periodicals from 1691 to 1877.
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Secondary Sources are one step removed from primary sources, though they often quote or otherwise use primary sources. They can cover the same topic, but add a layer of interpretation and analysis.
Examples:
Broad collection of scholarly journals, magazines, and newspapers in most academic subjects. Also includes videos from the Associated Press. A great starting point for any topic!
Full text of reference books, magazines, journals, and primary source documents in U.S. and world history.
Full-text journals and periodicals providing current news pertaining to all branches of the military.
Over 400 scholarly journals plus indexing for an additional 1,000 political science journals.
Sample Journals