Skip to Main Content

Primary Sources: Web Sources

List of resources for students researching primary sources

Search Tips and Guides

Use Google or your favorite search engine and search "digital primary source collections"
to find primary sources on the Web.

Find guides on how to locate primary sources on the Web:

Using Primary Sources on the Web

American Memory (Library of Congress)

Primary Sources for U.S. History (Copley Library)

ehistory  (OSU Dept. of History)

Major Primary Source Digital Collections on the Web

Evaluating Websites

The quality of the information you find on the Web varies tremendously so it is always a good idea to check the information against another source. As with all information resources, whether in print or on the Internet, you evaluate its quality based on the following criteria:

  • Accuracy (Is it free from mistakes and errors?)
  • Authority (What are the qualifications of the author?)
  • Objectivity (Is there any strong bias?)
  • Currency (Is the information up to date?)
  • Coverage (To what extent is the topic explored?)

That's just the basics.  Learn more!

Tutorials on Evaluation Criteria