primary sources

(noun)

Original sources of information about a topic. In the study of history as an academic discipline, primary sources include artifact, document, diary, manuscript, autobiography, recording, or other source of information that was created at the time under study.

Related Terms

Examples of primary sources in the following topics:

  • The Imperfect Historical Record

    • In the study of history as an academic discipline, a primary source (also called original source or evidence) is an artifact, document, diary, manuscript, autobiography, recording, or other source of information that was created at the time under study.
    • Primary sources are distinguished from secondary sources, which cite, comment on, or build upon primary sources.
    • In some cases, a secondary source may also be a primary source, depending on how it is used.
    • History as an academic discipline is based on primary sources, as evaluated by the community of scholars for whom primary sources are absolutely fundamental to reconstructing the past.
    • Historians continue to debate what aspects and practices of investigating primary sources should be considered, and what constitutes a primary source when developing the most effective historical method.

  • Introduction to the Enlightenment

    • The Enlightenment, a philosophical movement that dominated in Europe in the 18th century, was centered around the idea that reason is the primary source of authority and legitimacy and advocated such ideals as liberty, progress, tolerance, fraternity, constitutional government, and separation of church and state.
    • It was centered around the idea that reason is the primary source of authority and legitimacy and it advocated such ideals as liberty, progress, tolerance, fraternity, constitutional government, and separation of church and state.
    • A number of novel ideas developed, including Deism (belief in God the Creator, with no reference to the Bible or any other source) and atheism.

  • Enlightenment Ideals

    • Centered around the idea that reason is the primary source of authority and legitimacy, the Enlightenment was a philosophical movement that dominated the world of ideas in Europe in the 18th century.
    • Centered around the idea that reason is the primary source of authority and legitimacy, it advocated such ideals as liberty, progress, tolerance, fraternity, constitutional government, and separation of church and state.
    • A number of novel ideas developed, including Deism (belief in God the Creator, with no reference to the Bible or any other source) and atheism.

  • Splitting History

    • The task of historians is to identify the sources that can most usefully contribute to the production of accurate accounts of the past.
    • These sources, known are primary sources or evidence, were produced at the time under study and constitute the foundation of historical inquiry.
    • Ideally, a historian will use as many available primary sources as can be accessed, but in practice, sources may have been destroyed or may not be available for research.
    • In general, the sources of historical knowledge can be separated into three categories: what is written, what is said, and what is physically preserved.

  • Zoroastrianism

    • Zoroastrians usually pray in the presence of some form of fire (which can be considered evident in any source of light), and the culminating rite of the principle act of worship constitutes a "strengthening of the waters."
    • Fire is considered a medium through which spiritual insight and wisdom is gained, and water is considered the source of that wisdom.
    • The Histories is a primary source of information on the early period of the Achaemenid era (648–330 BCE), in particular with respect to the role of the Magi.

  • Rationalism

    • While rationalism in the strict sense of a view that reason is the main source of knowledge did not dominate the Enlightenment, it laid critical basis for the debates that developed over the course of the 18th century.
    • As the Enlightenment centered on reason as the primary source of authority and legitimacy, many philosophers of the period drew from earlier philosophical contributions, most notably those of René Descartes (1596 – 1650), a French philosopher, mathematician, and scientist.

  • The Ghana Empire

    • In the medieval Arabic sources the word "Ghana" can refer to a royal title, the name of a capital city, or a kingdom.
    • Other sources identify the beginnings of the Empire some time between the 4th century and the mid-8th century.
    • Because the majority of these Muslims were merchants, this part of the city was probably its primary business district.
    • One of the earliest sources, al-Ya'qubi writing in 889/90 (276 AH), notes that "under the king's authority "are a number of kings."
    • Given scarce Arabic sources and the ambiguity of the existing archaeological record, it is difficult to determine when and how Ghana declined and fell.

  • Sanskrit

    • Sanskrit is the primary sacred language of Hinduism, and has been used as a philosophical language in the religions of Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.
    • (Depending on the source consulted, these are spelled, for example, either Rig Veda or Rigveda.)
    • Panini’s Astadhyayi is the most important of the surviving texts of Vyakarana, the linguistic analysis of Sanskrit, consisting of eight chapters laying out his rules and their sources.

  • The Bantu Migration

    • The primary evidence for this expansion has been linguistic, namely that the languages spoken in Sub-Equatorial Africa are remarkably similar to each other.
    • Other factors include increased trade among African communities and with European, and Arab traders on the coasts; technological developments in economic activity, and new techniques in the political-spiritual ritualization of royalty as the source of national strength and health.
    • Source: Wikimedia.

  • The Spanish Habsburgs

    • Spanish settlements were established in the New World: Mexico City, the most important colonial city established in 1524 to be the primary center of administration in the New World; Florida, colonized in the 1560s; Buenos Aires, established in 1536; and New Granada (modern Colombia), colonized in the 1530s.
    • The Spanish Empire abroad became the source of Spanish wealth and power in Europe.
    • Instead of fueling the Spanish economy, American silver made the country increasingly dependent on foreign sources of raw materials and manufactured goods.