This guide will help you locate primary source and secondary source information about local sites and issues. Most of the sources themselves are local publications, institutions, and government entities.
A primary source is the ground-level evidence for any discipline. In the humanities this is a source that was created during or immediately after the event or period that it documents. Primary sources enable researchers to get as close as possible to what actually happened during an historical event and or time period. A primary source is a first-hand account of an event. Primary sources may include newspaper articles, letters, diaries, interviews, laws, reports of government commissions, and many other types of documents.
A secondary source is anything created using primary sources. This includes books, articles audio and audio-visual materials.