Primary Sources - ENGL 1111 - Representations of War - Bell - Research Guides at Vanderbilt University

Primary Sources in the Library

A primary source is a document or other sort of evidence written or created during the time under study, or by one of the persons or organizations directly involved in the event. Primary sources offer an inside view of a particular event. Some types are:

Original Documents (excerpts or translations acceptable)

Diaries
Speeches
Letters
Interviews
News film footage
Autobiographies

Creative Works

Drama
Novels
Music
Art
Films

Relics or Artifacts

Jewelry
Pottery
Furniture
Clothing

This excellent video succinctly explains the difference between primary and secondary sources. Complete with examples and tips on how to locate primary resources in the library.

CQ Researcher
Best overview source for identifying what's at issue and how the topic developed. Each report covers a single subject. Browse by topic or search for keywords.
Sample search: abortion
Update the CQ Researcher information by looking at CQ Weekly [Congressional Quarterly Weekly Report] for current developments on political issues and on activities of all three branches of government. Choose Archive "Search Articles" and use the * (asterisk) to substitute for word endings.

The Digital Collections below focus on World War I. Think about ways primary resources can be used to enhance your research.

First World War Poetry Digital Archive
Highly valued primary material from major poets of the period, including Wilfred Owen, Isaac Rosenberg, Robert Graves, Vera Brittain, and Edward Thomas. This is supplemented by a comprehensive range of multimedia artefacts from the Imperial War Museum, a separate archive of over 6,500 items contributed by the general public, and a set of specially developed educational resources.
The Great War (PBS)
Companion website accompanying 8 part PBS series. Features an expanded map and battle section, dramatized audio recordings of letters and poems written by combatants and non-combatants in the war, as well as streaming video of archival footage taken during World War I.
World War I
The website includes an exhaustive day by day timeline, covering every event that occurred during World War I, in chronological order from 1914 through to 1919.
American Leaders Speak: Recordings From World War I and the 1920 Election
Fifty-nine sound recordings of speeches by American leaders from 1918-1920. The speeches focus on issues and events surrounding the First World War and the subsequent presidential election of 1920. Speakers include: Warren G. Harding, James Cox, Calvin Coolidge, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Samuel Gompers, Henry Cabot Lodge, and others.
Newspaper Pictorials: World War I Rotogravures
The images in this collection track American sentiment about the war in Europe, week by week, before and after the United States became involved. Events of the war are detailed alongside society news and advertisements touting products of the day, creating a pictorial record of both the war effort and life at home.
The Stars & Stripes: The American Soilders Newspaper of World War I, 1918-1919
From February 8, 1918, to June 13, 1919, by order of General John J. Pershing, the United States Army published a newspaper for its forces in France, The Stars and Stripes. This online collection, presented by the Serial and Government Publications Division of the Library of Congress, includes the complete seventy-one-week run of the newspaper's World War I edition.