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Medieval and Early Modern Europe Resource Guide

A dedicated guide for assisting students enrolled in MedRen courses.

Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary

Primary sources are the evidence of history, original records or objects created by participants or observers at the time historical events occurred or even well after events, as in memoirs and oral histories. Primary sources may include but are not limited to: letters, manuscripts, diaries, journals, newspapers, maps, speeches, interviews, documents produced by government agencies, photographs, audio or video recordings, born-digital items (e.g. emails), research data, and objects or artifacts (such as works of art or ancient roads, buildings, tools, and weapons). These sources serve as the raw materials historians use to interpret and analyze the past.

(Primary Sources on the Web: Finding, Evaluating, Using, Reference and User Services Association)

Where to Find Primary Sources