Primary Sources in the Humanities

A primary source has the following characteristics:

–Date of Production within the time frame of the topic

–First hand account

–Directly related to topic

In the humanities, primary sources include creative works created in a particular time period, such as:

• a painting or sculpture, e.g. Diego Rivera's Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in Alameda Park 
• a play, poem, or novel, including graphic novels, e.g. Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
• a philosophical or religious text, e.g. the Hindu Vedas 
• a piece of music, e.g. "Strange Fruit" as performed by Billie Holiday
• a building or other architectural work, e.g. the Taj Mahal
• a film, e.g. Frida