Finding primary sources online can be challenging given the natural of these rare and fragile historical materials. Primary sources are typically kept and maintained by an archive which is a physical depository for such historical material. While some archives digitize parts of their collection and make them available online, the majority of materials still can only be found by visiting the archive in person. When searching for online primary source materials in archives or special collections, look for collections marked "Digital Collection/Materials" or "Online Collection/Materials."
A primary source provides direct or firsthand evidence about an event, object, person, or work of art. Primary sources include historical and legal documents, eyewitness accounts, results of experiments, statistical data, pieces of creative writing, audio and video recordings, speeches, and art objects. Interviews, surveys, fieldwork, and Internet communications via email, blogs, listservs, and newsgroups are also primary sources. More examples of primary sources:
Secondary sources describe, discuss, interpret, comment upon, analyze, evaluate, summarize, and process primary sources. Secondary source materials can be articles in newspapers or popular magazines, book or movie reviews, or articles found in scholarly journals that discuss or evaluate someone else's original research. More examples of secondary sources:
-From Ithaca College Library (https://library.ithaca.edu/sp/subjects/primary)