A primary source can mean different things depending on the discipline or how one uses the source. However, usually a primary source is the direct, first-hand account or object being studied. Examples include:
In contrast, a secondary source would be something that interprets, analyses, or remarks upon primary sources. Examples include:
Primary sources are often collected together and published in book format. In the library's Advanced Search, try combining your topic keywords with one of these terms:
For example: "Residential schools" AND (diary OR memoir)
Tip: Use quotation marks to search for a phrase (ex. "First Nations"). Use a question mark to truncate a term to search for words with the same stem (ex. Biograph? retrieves Biography, Biographies, Biographical, etc.).
To learn more search tricks, go to Search Strategies.
Use keywords to search for your topic in the following databases: