DEFINTION: Primary sources are original sources created at the time an event occurs and are directly associated with their producer (or user). They serve as the raw materials researchers use to analyze and interpret the past.
Examples include:
This is just a sampling of what can be considered a primary source.
1. When doing a keyword search in the UCF Catalog, include terms that describe primary sources such as: personal narratives, diaries, letters, correspondence, maps, pictorial works, memoirs. Even adding the term "sources" to your search can help limit your results to primary sources.
2. Do an author search using the name of a person who was instrumental in the event/time period being researched.
3. On the advanced search screen, limit the date range for when the material was published to the dates an event took place.