Primary Sources in Credo Reference: About

Many reference works include primary source documents as part of their appendices or supplementary materials. Credo's Academic and Complete Core Collections contain many of these primary sources, and we've created this LibGuide to help you find and use them more easily.

To find primary sources, simply select the subject or format you are interested in from the tabs. Note that many primary sources can be used across different disciplines, so be sure to check out related subjects to use this guide most effectively.

Primary sources are a key part of research for many disciplines, most notably history and the social sciences. Unlike secondary sources, primary sources are often created by an individual or group and demonstrate their understanding of events. Thus, these works often express singular points of view, some of which have been disproven with time. When using primary sources, its important to consider who created the source and under what context, as well as the state of the world at the time that the source was created. 

For more information about evaluating primary sources, you can suggest that your students visit RUSA's "Primary Sources on the Web: Finding, Evaluating, Using​" online resource or ask a librarian.