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The National Archives and Records AdministrationPacific Alaska Region
Seattle, Washington & Anchorage, Alaska
9/1/2009
What are primary source documents and what do I need to
know about them?
Archival Research Basics with the National Archives
Lesson # 3
What is a Primary Source What is a Primary Source document?document?
What is a Primary Source What is a Primary Source document?document?
Do you own one or more Do you own one or more yourselfyourself??
What is a Primary Source What is a Primary Source document?document?
Do you own one or more Do you own one or more yourselfyourself??– Where is it?Where is it?– What does it look like?What does it look like?– Is it valuable?Is it valuable?– How long will you keep it?How long will you keep it?
What about your birth certificate?
Maybe you are a new US Citizen
Definition of “Primary Source: from the Teaching Library at the University
of California at Berkeley
– Diaries, journals, speeches, interviews, letters, memos, manuscripts and other papers in which individuals Diaries, journals, speeches, interviews, letters, memos, manuscripts and other papers in which individuals describe events in which they were participants or observers; describe events in which they were participants or observers;
– Memoirs and autobiographies; Memoirs and autobiographies; – Records of organizations and agencies of government; Records of organizations and agencies of government; – Published materials written at the time of the event; Published materials written at the time of the event; – Photographs, audio recordings, moving pictures, video recordings documenting what happened; Photographs, audio recordings, moving pictures, video recordings documenting what happened; – Artifacts of all kinds; and Artifacts of all kinds; and
– Research reports in the sciences and social sciences. Research reports in the sciences and social sciences.
http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/instruct/guides/primarysources.htmlhttp://www.lib.berkeley.edu/instruct/guides/primarysources.html
“Primary sources enable the researcher to get as close as possible to the truth of what actually happened during an historical event or time period. Primary sources are the evidence left behind by participants or observers. Examples of primary sources include:
What is an Archives?What is an Archives?
What is an Archives?
A safe place to keep primary source documents
What is an Archives?
A safe place to keep primary source documents
A place where documents can be cared for and preserved
What is an Archives?What is an Archives?
A safe place to keep primary source documents
A place where documents can be cared for and preserved
A place where you can obtain copies of these documents
Are primary sources stored in places other than government
archives?
Where? Homes
Private Collections
Library Special Collections
Newspaper morgues
Film libraries
Online (usually in image libraries)
Reproduced in books
Is the information in primary sources always correct and/or
accurate?
Primary sources are subject to the same problems as all human endeavors
Human Error
Bias
Prejudice
Misinterpretation of facts
Outright Lying
So how would you decide about the accuracy or meaning of any
primary source?
AnalysisAnalysis
First, let’s get some document analysis
sheets to help us focus and look for clues.
Make a note of the web
address
Now … click here for
a copy of the photo
analysis worksheet
for this exercise.
Please print it out,
then continue …
The following five photographs are for you to
analyze using the photo analysis worksheet you
just printed out.
Richard M. Nixon meeting with Elvis Presley , 12/21/1970
Richard M. Nixon meeting with Elvis Presley , 12/21/1970
Richard M. Nixon meeting with Elvis Presley , 12/21/1970
Richard M. Nixon meeting with Elvis Presley , 12/21/1970
Richard M. Nixon meeting with Elvis Presley , 12/21/1970
In answer to the last question asked on the worksheet, here is a
little more information that has been compiled by The National
Archives for you.
http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/nixon-met-elvis/index.html
Now … do you understand the photograph better?
Why?
Why not?
Where else might you find more information on this topic?
Let’s try some other examples
• Go back to the document analysis Go back to the document analysis worksheet page at worksheet page at http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons
• Find an appropriate worksheet for each Find an appropriate worksheet for each exampleexample
• Fill one out for each of the following Fill one out for each of the following examplesexamples
Hunting Seagulls
Records of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1868 - 2005
The National Archives and Records Administration, Pacific Alaska Region,
Anchorage
ARC # 297077
(www.archives.gov)
Photographs
Pribilof Islands (Alaska) Evacuation Camp Map, August 12, 1942
The National Archives and Records Administration, Anchorage, AK
Maps & Drawings
Records of the US Fish and Wildlife Service (Record Group 22)
Written Written DocumentsDocuments
Official Logbook, St George Island, June
16-29, 1942
Records of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1868 - 2005
The National Archives and Records Administration, Pacific Alaska Region, Anchorage, AK
ARC # 2641506
(www.archives.gov)
CartoonsCartoons
Untitled. [Reorganization of Congress], 07/28/1946ARC Identifier 306100
Item from Record Group 46: Records of the U.S. Senate, 1789 - 2006Center for Legislative Archives, National Archives and Records Administration (Washington DC)
Assignment #3
Write no more than one page describing your findings in the four document analyses you just completed and noting any indications of bias or prejudice you found in each of the records.
Please send a copy of the page to [email protected] for review and suggestions. If you are taking this course for credit, this is a REQUIRED and GRADED assignment.
Questions?
Contact:The National Archives and Records Administration
Pacific Alaska Region
The National Archives at Seattle The National Archives at Anchorage
6125 Sand Point Way NE 654 West Third Ave.
Seattle, WA 98115 Anchorage, AK 99501
206-336-5115 907-261-7800
[email protected] [email protected] www.archives.gov/pacific-alaska/seattle/ www.archives.gov/pacific-alaska/anchorage/
