HIST 4603 - Research Seminar: Integration at Ouachita Baptist University: Primary Resources

Primary sources of information provide first-hand accounts of historical events. Often unpublished, these are documents that were created by the witnesses or first recorders of these events at about the time they occurred.  These can include manuscripts, diaries, letters, reports, photographs, creative works, financial records, memos, newspaper articles, maps, or audio and visual recordings.  Primary sources also include first-hand accounts that were documented later, such as autobiographies, memoirs, and oral histories. However, the most useful primary sources are usually considered to be those that were created closest to the time period you’re researching.