Primary Sources

A very basic definition of a primary source is "anything created by those who were there." Some examples of primary sources might be:

• An empirical research study published in a scientific journal
• Letters, diaries, or personal narratives
• Newspaper or magazine articles published at the time an event occurred
• A Web site

The types of information sources that can be considered primary sources vary depending on the discipline and on how you're using the material. For example:

• A magazine article reporting on recent studies linking hormone replacement therapy and breast cancer would be a secondary source; the research article itself would be a primary source.
• BUT... if you were studying how women's health issues are presented in the popular media, the magazine article could be a primary source.

For more in-depth information about finding and using primary sources in the JHU Libraries, see the Primary Sources Research Guide.