Primary resources are items that directly relate to your research topic. The difference between a primary resource and secondary resource depends on your research topic.
Primary resources are:
If you were writing about how boxing champions were trained in the 1920s, your primary resources should all be direct proof of how 1920s boxing champions were trained. Some primary resources could be:
For your topic, a book written in 1993 about the history of boxing would not be a primary resource.
For extra guidance on how to find and use primary sources, please visit USA Marx Library's Primary Source Guide.
History societies, nonprofessional researchers, or other interested groups may own websites with digital copies of primary sources. These may be the only accessible copy of that primary source available to you. Always evaluate the quality of the website before using content. With primary sources, you should also review if the source seems to be represented fairly or if the source seems like it has been distorted, edited, or taken out of context.
For guidance on accessing physical primary sources, please visit some of our Government Documents Guides:
Always review websites for appropriateness. If the website fails any of these criteria, it doesn't automatically make the website a "bad source," but the site should be critically viewed before using it for an assignment.
Finally, ask yourself these questions: