Japan Studies Primary Sources: Home

Primary sources vs. secondary sources: 

Knowing how to use sources is crucial to produce solid academic research.

According to historian Robert C. Williams a primary source is "a document, image, or artifact that provides evidence about the past. It is an original document created contemporaneously with the event under discussion. A direct quote from such a document is classified as a primary source."  (The Historian's Toolbox: A Student's Guide to the Theory and Craft of History, p.58 ). Based on these definitions examples of primary sources include, but are not limited to:

• magazine /journal, newspaper articles  
• manuscripts (i.e. hand-written documents like diaries and journals)
• maps, laws, court cases
• speeches
• interviews, records of government agencies
• artifacts (of all kinds)
• audio recordings

For more information about primary sources check  What Makes a Primary Source a Primary Source?  by the Library of Congress and UNC's  Finding Primary Sources Lib Guide.