How to Find Primary Sources

Find specific types of primary sources:

• Newspaper articles
• Government Documents
• Letters, diaries, or oral histories in Duke's Special Collections library
• Items about Duke History from the University Archives

Search the online catalog for primary sources:

• Use Subject Headings for your topic and words like "-diaries", "-personal narratives" (i.e. Spain--History--Civil War, 1936-1939--Personal narratives)
• Use subject headings such as:
  • American Diaries--Bibliography
  • Autobiography--Bibliography
  • Diaries--Women

Primary sources in many formats--letters, diaries, oral histories, newspapers, pamphlets, zines, etc.--are available in Duke's Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library, 103 Perkins. Reference staff are available to help researchers locate appropriate material.

What is a primary source?

A primary source is a first-hand account of an event. Primary sources may include newspaper articles, letters, diaries, interviews, laws, reports of government commissions, and many other types of documents.