Primary sources are the raw material for research in literary and historical studies. They are documents created during the time period you are studying, such as diaries, newspaper articles, or photographs, which may or may not have been collected or digitized. When examining primary sources, consider:
- Who created it, and for what purpose?
- When was it created, and what shaped the circumstances of its creation?
- What does it reveal about the beliefs, values, and assumptions of people at the time?