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University of Texas University of Texas Libraries

Women's & Gender Studies

Historical & Primary Sources

Primary & Historical Sources

Newspapers and magazines listed here are historical collections. For current news sources, please see the Finding News and News Evaluation Guide.

What is a Primary Source?

Primary sources are produced by participants or direct observers of an issue, event or time period.  These sources may be recorded during the event or later on by a participant reflecting upon the event. In some cases, it will be difficult to obtain the original source, so you may have to rely on copies (photocopies, microfilm, digital copies).

Some examples of primary sources include:

  • Newspapers
  • Speeches
  • Government Documents
  • Legal Documents
  • Public Opinion Polls
  • Personal Materials: letters, diaries, interviews, memoirs, autobiographies, and oral histories
  • Images

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