The following list contains examples of the many formats of items that may be considered primary sources. Thinking of these different categories of materials can help you imagine the various sources that might be available to you in your research. Note that the same piece of evidence may be a primary source in one investigation and a secondary source in another. Be creative in thinking about primary sources and adapt your search strategy to find specific formats of materials.
Books and monographs
Correspondence (email, text messages, postcards, letters)
Dissertations
Government documents (reports, census data, testimony, laws, treaties)
Machine readable data files
Manuscripts and Archives, whether personal or family papers or organizational records
