how to cite a primary source in an essay

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How to Cite Primary Sources

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You already know that it’s critical to include a variety of sources as evidence to back up your argument or ideas. Sources of information like books, websites, and academic journals are easy to access and can help you locate pertinent information to your topic. But how do you include information from sources that provide first-hand evidence, such as maps, letters, etc.? 

These types of sources are called “primary” sources, and citing them can be a bit more challenging than citing those that are “secondary” (sources that interpret primary sources or information). However, primary sources are strong resources to use.

First, primary sources help you relate directly to the content. Instead of reading an “outsider’s” analysis of a topic or event, you can explore it for yourself through primary sources. Second, primary sources allow you to create your own opinions and analysis of a topic, without the bias of a secondary analyzer. Finally, there is less chance of miscommunication or misinformation with primary sources.

Now that you know the value of primary sources, here are some tips on how to properly include them in your next bibliography or MLA works cited .

No matter what you are citing, the key thing to remember is that the overall objective is to lead your readers directly to the sources you have consulted. Here are some of the pieces of information you should include from your primary source in order to accomplish this goal:

• Author or creator’s name
• Title of the source or a description
• Date the source was written/created
• Publication information, such as the database you accessed it from
• Collection name, if there is one
• Box and folder, if the source was housed in a place that uses such a system
• Repository/archive that holds the source

Here is an example for citing a letter as a primary source in MLA format:

Benton, Alice. Letter to Charles Friend. 24 Jan 1789. Charles Friend Collection, State University Library, New York, MS 511, box 15, folder 9.

And here is how you would cite the same letter in APA format :

Benton, A. (1789, October 24). Letter to Charles Friend . Charles Friend Collection (MS 511, Box 15, Folder 9). State University Archives, New York.

If you are unsure about how to cite a primary source for your paper, talk to your instructor or consult the manual for your citation style. BibMe.org also has helpful citation forms for many types of primary sources like interviews, photography, maps, federal bills, and more! 

Preparing to write a paper? Why review BibMe grammar guides and brush up on how to use an adverb , what is plagiarism , how to define “ conjunction ,” and more!

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The difference between a primary and secondary source is based on how raw or pure the source is. A primary source provides firsthand information that was experienced by the source’s creator.

Primary sources examples:

• data from a science experiment
• an interview
• a recording of an event
• maps survey results
• historical artifacts

A secondary source is a source that describes or analyzes a primary source. The creator of a secondary source experiences the information secondhand through the primary source, so it is labeled as “secondary.”

Secondary sources examples:

• journal articles
• book reviews
• art critiques
• biographies

Examples of a primary and secondary source on the same information:

• Primary source –> Video of a performance
• Secondary source –> Review of the performance
• Primary source –> Quantitative and qualitative data from a survey
• Secondary source –> Article interpreting what the results mean

Primary sources are original sources of information that provide first-hand evidence on a topic. While gathering data from a primary source, the following elements are necessary to include in references and citations:

• Author’s or content contributor’s full name
• Title of the content source and/or description where available
• Date when the content was created
• Information about the source of publication, such as a database
• Name of the collection, if available
• Box or folder name, if available
• Any other information that would be necessary to identify that source

Research Using Primary Sources

• Getting Started
• Finding Primary Sources
• Plan Your Visit
• Interpreting Primary Sources
• Citing Primary Sources

How do I cite a Primary Source?

General guidelines.

By carefully documenting your sources, you acknowledge intellectual debts and provide readers with information about the materials you consulted during your research. Methods for citing primary sources (e.g., archival and manuscript collections) differ from those for published works. The discipline in which you are writing and class requirements will determine the citation system you should use.

Typical elements of a citation include: document title, document date, location information, collection title, collection number, and repository name.  For primary sources published online, a citation would include: the author, document title or a description, document date, title of the website, reference URL, and date accessed. Elements of a citation are usually listed from the most specific to the most general. 

Where to Find Citation Elements

The Finding Aid is the best place to find the information you need to cite a primary source. Below are examples from a finding aid that show where you can locate this information.

Take a look at the John H Alexander finding aid . In the top left corner of the record there is a citation button that will generate a citation for the collection you are viewing. You may need to slightly reformat this automatically generate citation, based upon the style guide your project requires. 

Repository Name:    In this findi ng ai d, th is information (the name of the collecting institution)  is simply listed  under "Repository". 

Collection Number:  Sometimes called the acquisition number, this is located just below title and author/creator in this finding aid.

Document Title: The Finding Aid only lists the names of folders, not the individual names of every item contained within each folder. If the document you want to cite has a title on it, like the name of a pamphlet, use that as the title in your citation. If it does not, give it a title that accurately describes the item. For example, if I were citing a letter in folder 1, I could title it, [Letter to J.J. Albert dated May 5, 1831]. If you do this, put the title in brackets to indicate that you created the title. 

Document Date: Look at the title of the Series, or the folder title. Sometimes, as in the example above, the date is a range. To find the specific date, look at the specific document you wish to cite. 

Location Information: Note the series, sub-series, or folder number the document is located in. In this example, it is "John H. Alexander Papers, Series 1: Correspondence, 1831-1848, Folder 1)

Preferred Citation : In this case, SCUA has provided a preferred citation format for you! It also provided a unique identifier to link to the finding aid, which should be included in your citation. 

Citation Styles

Once you have gathered this information, refer to the style handbook for the citation format you will be using (MLA, Chicago, APA). Citation format will differ not only by the style you use, but the format of the record itself, i.e. whether it is a letter, pamphlet, book, government document, etc. 

The Library of Congress gives examples of how to cite different types of primary sources in these three styles. And if in doubt, you can always ask a librarian how best to cite the document you need.

Below is the letter we used as an example from the John H. Alexander collection cited in MLA, Chicago, and APA. 

Alexander, John H. [Letter to J.J. Albert dated May 5, 1831]. 1831. "John H. Alexander Papers". Special Collections, University of Maryland Libraries, College Park.   http://hdl.handle.net/1903.1/1747

Alexander, John H . (1831). [Letter to J.J. Albert dated May 5, 1831] .  "John H. Alexander Papers".  Special Collections, University of Maryland Libraries, College Park, MD .  http://hdl.handle.net/1903.1/1747

John H. Alexander to J.J. Albert, 5 May 1831, Box 1, Folder 1, John H. Alexander Papers, Special John M. Sell to William Sell, 3 November 1861, Box 1, Folder 3, Special Collections, University of Maryland Libraries, College Park.    http://hdl.handle.net/1903.1/1747

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Primary Sources

Primary sources  are original documents that were used or created by someone with firsthand experience of an event.  Whenever possible, you should try and locate the primary source in its original format for your research.  If that is not possible, you may use a reprint of the primary source.  When you are using a primary source not in its original form, you must cite the primary source and how you accessed the primary source.  Below are several examples to help you cite primary sources.  For more citation examples, please look at the Chicago Citations Example document on the Chicago Style (CMS) Citation page.  

Primary Source in a Database (example from Ancient and Medieval History Online)

FULL CITATION FOR BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Author (if known). “Primary Source Title.” Database Name.

"The Coffin Texts (excerpt)." Ancient and Medieval History Online.

1. Author (if known), “Primary Source Title,” Database Name.

2. "The Coffin Texts (excerpt)," Ancient and Medieval History Online.

Loeb Classical Library Online

Lastname, Firstname. Title . Translated by. City of publication: Publisher, Year of publication. Database Name.

Thucydides. History of the Peloponnesian War, Volume 1 . Translated by C.F. Smith. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1920. Loeb Classical Library.

1. Firstname Lastname,  Title , trans. by (City of publication: Publisher, Year of publication), Page number, Database Name.

2. Thucydides,  History of the Peloponnesian War, Volume 1 , trans. by C.F. Smith (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1920), 350, Loeb Classical Library.

Paintings, Sculptures, and Photographs (printed in a book)

Author’s lastname, firstname. Book Title . City of publication: Publisher, Year of publication.

Getlein, Frank. Mary Cassatt: Paintings and Prints . New York: Abbeville Press, 1980.

1. Artist’s Firstname Lastname,  Artwork Title , Year created, in author’s firstname lastname,  Book Title  (City of publication: Publisher, Year of publication), Page number.

2. Mary Cassatt,  Two Children at the Seashore , 1884, in Frank Getlein,  Mary Cassatt: Paintings and Prints  (New York: Abbeville Press, 1980), 53.

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MLA Citation Guide (9th Edition): Primary Sources

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On This Page: Primary Sources

Primary source from a book.

• Primary Source from an Online Collection
• Primary Source from a Library Database

Tips: Author Information

What do I do when there is no author? 

Start the citation with the first one, two, or three words from the title.

You should provide enough words to make it clear which work you're referring to from your Works Cited list.

If the title in the Works Cited list is in italics, italicize the words from the title in the in-text citation. If the title in the Works Cited list is in quotation marks, put quotation marks around the words from the title in the in-text citation.

( Cell Biology 12)

("Nursing" 12)

What do I do if only the author's initials are available? 

The easiest method is to treat the initials as a unit. Use the initials in your in-text citation and list the entry under the first initial in your Works Cited list. 

Approximate dates

What do you do if you only have approximate date?

If you only have an approximate date of creation, put it in square brackets. Example: [c. 1920]  The "c." is an abbreviation of circa ("about" in Latin).

If you are using a primary source from a textbook, you can cite the document like a section from an anthology.

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Primary Source Document." Title of Book: Subtitle if Any,  edited by Editor's First Name and Last Name,  Edition if given and is not first,  Publisher Name often shortened, Year of publication, Page numbers of the primary source.

Primary Source From an Online Collection

If you are using an online primary source from a website, follow the format below:

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Primary Source Document: Subtitle." Year of creation. Title of Website, Publisher of Website, Publication Date, URL. Accessed Day Month Year site was visited .

Primary Source From a Library Database

If you are using an online primary source from an online database, follow the format below:

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Primary Source Document: Subtitle." Title of Journal,  vol. Volume Number, no. Issue Number, Date of Publication, pp. First Page Number-Last Page Number.  Name of Database,  doi:DOI number if any.

 Note:  While MLA 9th edition recommends including URLs, Columbia College Library recommends that URLs be left out when citing a work found in a library database. This is because most URLs from library databases will stop working after the session ends. If your instructor requires a URL, look for the "Permalink" icon in the article description and place the URL generated after the name of the database. 

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Primary Sources: Citing Primary Sources in APA Style

• Finding Primary Sources Relating to an Individual
• Finding Primary Sources Collected in Books
• Finding Primary Sources in Databases and Finding Newspaper Articles
• Finding Primary Sources in the Dickinson College Archives and Other Archives
• Primary Scientific Sources
• Secondary Scientific Sources
• Primary Source Timeline
• Citing Primary Sources in MLA Style
• Citing Primary Sources in APA Style
• Citing Primary Sources in Chicago Style

APA - Sample Citations

For more information on citing in APA Style, please see our main APA citation guide .

Images/Art Found Online (e.g., paintings, photography, etc.)

Note : The below example is for a work of art that is also available to see in-person at a museum. For an image that is not on display, you would use the same format, but remove the museum and location components. For more information on citing images in APA, you may wish to look at Memorial University Libraries' guide on citing art in APA Style .

Note : In the following example, the creator's screen name is their real name. If the creator had a screen name different from their real name, it would be included in square brackets after their name. If only the screen name is available, then it would be used as the creator's name.

Marich, J. (2017, March 28).  EMDR therapy demonstration: Phases 1-8  [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6UvKhLYf7w.

Note : Legal references are going to look a lot different from references to a journal article because APA Style uses a source for legal citation called  The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation . In some cases, such as for constitutional amendments, the in-text citation will actually be the same as the reference list entry. For more help with citing legal materials, it is highly recommended that you look at Appendix 7.1 in the APA manual (available at the circulation desk) or the APA Style Blog's Introduction to APA Style Legal References .

Constitutional amendments :

U.S. Const. amend. XIX. 

Court decisions : 

Other Common Primary Sources

Letter in an archive (that you saw in person) : 

Carothers, A.A. (1876, June 20). [Letter to Cornelius R. Agnew]. Dickinson College Archives & Special Collections (CIS-MC-001, Box 1, Folder 1). Waidner-Spahr Library, Carlisle, PA. 

Letter in an archive (that you accessed online) : 

Newspaper article :

National convention of the colored race. (1883, October 4).  The Christian Statesman , pp. 3. Retrieved from  http://tinyurl.galegroup.com/ tinyurl / 8HBZX6.

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A Quick Guide to Harvard Referencing | Citation Examples

Published on 14 February 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on 15 September 2023.

Referencing is an important part of academic writing. It tells your readers what sources you’ve used and how to find them.

Harvard is the most common referencing style used in UK universities. In Harvard style, the author and year are cited in-text, and full details of the source are given in a reference list .

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Table of contents

Harvard in-text citation, creating a harvard reference list, harvard referencing examples, referencing sources with no author or date, frequently asked questions about harvard referencing.

A Harvard in-text citation appears in brackets beside any quotation or paraphrase of a source. It gives the last name of the author(s) and the year of publication, as well as a page number or range locating the passage referenced, if applicable:

Note that ‘p.’ is used for a single page, ‘pp.’ for multiple pages (e.g. ‘pp. 1–5’).

An in-text citation usually appears immediately after the quotation or paraphrase in question. It may also appear at the end of the relevant sentence, as long as it’s clear what it refers to.

When your sentence already mentions the name of the author, it should not be repeated in the citation:

Sources with multiple authors

When you cite a source with up to three authors, cite all authors’ names. For four or more authors, list only the first name, followed by ‘ et al. ’:

Sources with no page numbers

Some sources, such as websites , often don’t have page numbers. If the source is a short text, you can simply leave out the page number. With longer sources, you can use an alternate locator such as a subheading or paragraph number if you need to specify where to find the quote:

Multiple citations at the same point

When you need multiple citations to appear at the same point in your text – for example, when you refer to several sources with one phrase – you can present them in the same set of brackets, separated by semicolons. List them in order of publication date:

Multiple sources with the same author and date

If you cite multiple sources by the same author which were published in the same year, it’s important to distinguish between them in your citations. To do this, insert an ‘a’ after the year in the first one you reference, a ‘b’ in the second, and so on:

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A bibliography or reference list appears at the end of your text. It lists all your sources in alphabetical order by the author’s last name, giving complete information so that the reader can look them up if necessary.

The reference entry starts with the author’s last name followed by initial(s). Only the first word of the title is capitalised (as well as any proper nouns).

Sources with multiple authors in the reference list

As with in-text citations, up to three authors should be listed; when there are four or more, list only the first author followed by ‘ et al. ’:

Reference list entries vary according to source type, since different information is relevant for different sources. Formats and examples for the most commonly used source types are given below.

• Entire book
• Book chapter
• Translated book
• Edition of a book

Journal articles

• Print journal
• Online-only journal with DOI
• Online-only journal with no DOI
• General web page
• Online article or blog
• Social media post

Sometimes you won’t have all the information you need for a reference. This section covers what to do when a source lacks a publication date or named author.

No publication date

When a source doesn’t have a clear publication date – for example, a constantly updated reference source like Wikipedia or an obscure historical document which can’t be accurately dated – you can replace it with the words ‘no date’:

Note that when you do this with an online source, you should still include an access date, as in the example.

When a source lacks a clearly identified author, there’s often an appropriate corporate source – the organisation responsible for the source – whom you can credit as author instead, as in the Google and Wikipedia examples above.

When that’s not the case, you can just replace it with the title of the source in both the in-text citation and the reference list:

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Harvard referencing uses an author–date system. Sources are cited by the author’s last name and the publication year in brackets. Each Harvard in-text citation corresponds to an entry in the alphabetised reference list at the end of the paper.

Vancouver referencing uses a numerical system. Sources are cited by a number in parentheses or superscript. Each number corresponds to a full reference at the end of the paper.

A Harvard in-text citation should appear in brackets every time you quote, paraphrase, or refer to information from a source.

The citation can appear immediately after the quotation or paraphrase, or at the end of the sentence. If you’re quoting, place the citation outside of the quotation marks but before any other punctuation like a comma or full stop.

In Harvard referencing, up to three author names are included in an in-text citation or reference list entry. When there are four or more authors, include only the first, followed by ‘ et al. ’

Though the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, there is a difference in meaning:

• A reference list only includes sources cited in the text – every entry corresponds to an in-text citation .
• A bibliography also includes other sources which were consulted during the research but not cited.

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the ‘Cite this Scribbr article’ button to automatically add the citation to our free Reference Generator.

Caulfield, J. (2023, September 15). A Quick Guide to Harvard Referencing | Citation Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved 6 May 2024, from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/referencing/harvard-style/

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Home / Guides / Citation Guides / MLA Format / How to Cite an Essay in MLA

How to Cite an Essay in MLA

The guidelines for citing an essay in MLA format are similar to those for citing a chapter in a book. Include the author of the essay, the title of the essay, the name of the collection if the essay belongs to one, the editor of the collection or other contributors, the publication information, and the page number(s).

Citing an Essay

Mla essay citation structure.

Last, First M. “Essay Title.” Collection Title, edited by First M. Last, Publisher, year published, page numbers. Website Title , URL (if applicable).

MLA Essay Citation Example

Gupta, Sanjay. “Balancing and Checking.” Essays on Modern Democracy, edited by Bob Towsky, Brook Stone Publishers, 1996, pp. 36-48. Essay Database, www . databaseforessays.org/modern/modern-democracy.

MLA Essay In-text Citation Structure

(Last Name Page #)

MLA Essay In-text Citation Example

Click here to cite an essay via an EasyBib citation form.

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To cite your sources in an essay in MLA style, you need to have basic information including the author’s name(s), chapter title, book title, editor(s), publication year, publisher, and page numbers. The templates for in-text citations and a works-cited-list entry for essay sources and some examples are given below:

In-text citation template and example:

For citations in prose, use the first name and surname of the author on the first occurrence. For subsequent citations, use only the surname(s). In parenthetical citations, always use only the surname of the author(s).

Citation in prose:

First mention: Annette Wheeler Cafarelli

Subsequent occurrences: Wheeler Cafarelli

Parenthetical:

….(Wheeler Cafarelli).

Works-cited-list entry template and example:

The title of the chapter is enclosed in double quotation marks and uses title case. The book or collection title is given in italics and uses title case.

Surname, First Name. “Title of the Chapter.” Title of the Book , edited by Editor(s) Name, Publisher, Publication Year, page range.

Cafarelli, Annette Wheeler. “Rousseau and British Romanticism: Women and British Romanticism.” Cultural Interactions in the Romantic Age: Critical Essays in Comparative Literature , edited by Gregory Maertz. State U of New York P, 1998, pp. 125–56.

To cite an essay in MLA style, you need to have basic information including the author(s), the essay title, the book title, editor(s), publication year, publisher, and page numbers. The templates for citations in prose, parenthetical citations, and works-cited-list entries for an essay by multiple authors, and some examples, are given below:

For citations in prose, use the first name and surname of the author (e.g., Mary Strine).

For sources with two authors, use both full author names in prose (e.g., Mary Strine and Beth Radick).

For sources with three or more authors, use the first name and surname of the first author followed by “and others” or “and colleagues” (e.g., Mary Strine and others). In subsequent citations, use only the surname of the first author followed by “and others” or “and colleagues” (e.g., Strine and others).

In parenthetical citations, use only the author’s surname. For sources with two authors, use two surnames (e.g., Strine and Radick). For sources with three or more author names, use the first author’s surname followed by “et al.”

First mention: Mary Strine…

Subsequent mention: Strine…

First mention: Mary Strine and Beth Radick…

Subsequent mention: Strine and Radick…

First mention: Mary Strine and colleagues …. or Mary Strine and others

Subsequent occurrences: Strine and colleagues …. or Strine and others

…. (Strine).

….(Strine and Radick).

….(Strine et al.).

The title of the essay is enclosed in double quotation marks and uses title case. The book or collection title is given in italics and uses title case.

Surname, First Name, et al. “Title of the Essay.” Title of the Book , edited by Editor(s) Name, Publisher, Publication Year, page range.

Strine, Mary M., et al. “Research in Interpretation and Performance Studies: Trends, Issues, Priorities.” Speech Communication: Essays to Commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the Speech Communication Association , edited by Gerald M. Phillips and Julia T. Wood, Southern Illinois UP, 1990, pp. 181–204.

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APA In-Text Citations and Sample Essay 7th Edition

This handout focuses on how to format in-text citations in APA.

Proper citation of sources is a two-part process . You must first cite each source in the body of your essay; these citations within the essay are called in-text citations . You MUST cite all quoted, paraphrased, or summarized words, ideas, and facts from sources. Without in-text citations, you are technically in danger of plagiarism, even if you have listed your sources at the end of the essay.

In-text citations point the reader to the sources’ information on the references page. The in-text citation typically includes the author's last name and the year of publication. If you use a direct quote, the page number is also provided.

More information can be found on p. 253 of the 7th edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association.

Citation Rules

Direct quotation with the author named in the text.

Heinze and Lu (2017) stated, “The NFL shifted its responses to institutional change around concussions significantly as the field itself evolved” (p. 509).

Note: The year of publication is listed in parenthesis after the names of the authors, and the page number is listed in parenthesis at the end of the quote.

Direct Quotation without the Author Named in the Text

As the NFL developed as an organization, it “shifted its responses to institutional change around concussions significantly” (Heinze & Lu, 2017, p. 509).

Note: At the end of the quote, the names of the authors, year of publication, and page number are listed in parenthesis.

Paraphrase with 1-2 Authors

As the NFL developed as an organization, its reactions toward concussions also transformed (Heinze & Lu, 2017).

Note: For paraphrases, page numbers are encouraged but not required.

Paraphrase with 3 or More Authors

To work toward solving the issue of violence in prisons begins with determining aspects that might connect with prisoners' violent conduct (Thomson et al., 2019).

Direct Quotation without an Author

The findings were astonishing "in a recent study of parent and adult child relationships" ("Parents and Their Children," 2007, p. 2).

Note: Since the author of the text is not stated, a shortened version of the title is used instead.

Secondary Sources

When using secondary sources, use the phrase "as cited in" and cite the secondary source on the References page.

In 1936, Keynes said, “governments should run deficits when the economy is slow to avoid unemployment” (as cited in Richardson, 2008, p. 257).

Long (Block) Quotations

When using direct quotations of 40 or more words, indent five spaces from the left margin without using quotation marks. The final period should come before the parenthetical citation.

At Meramec, an English department policy states:

To honor and protect their own work and that of others, all students must give credit to proprietary sources that are used for course work. It is assumed that any information that is not documented is either common knowledge in that field or the original work of that student. (St. Louis Community College, 2001, p. 1)

Website Citations

If citing a specific web document without a page number, include the name of the author, date, title of the section, and paragraph number in parentheses:

In America, “Two out of five deaths among U.S. teens are the result of a motor vehicle crash” (National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, 2004, Overview section, para. 1).

Here is a print-friendly version of this content.

Learn more about the APA References page by reviewing this handout .

For information on STLCC's academic integrity policy, check out this webpage .

For additional information on APA, check out STLCC's LibGuide on APA .

Sample Essay

A sample APA essay is available at this link .

Citing Primary Sources

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• Select style:
• Archive material
• Chapter of an edited book
• Conference proceedings
• Dictionary entry
• Dissertation
• DVD, video, or film
• E-book or PDF
• Edited book
• Encyclopedia article
• Government publication
• Music or recording
• Online image or video
• Presentation
• Press release
• Religious text

To have a quality research paper, it is incredibly important to include relevant sources as evidence that supports your ideas. While including references to sources such as books, journal articles, and newspapers is helpful, they do not represent the holistic picture of your research topic. Including references to primary sources, as well as secondary, can take your research to the next level.

Whether creating an annotated bibliography or composing in-text citations , Cite This For Me is a great resource for getting your references right.

Simply put, primary sources are sources that are firsthand or contemporary to your topic, and can include things such as diaries, letters, maps, and the like. So how do you make accurate citations for these kinds of sources? Read on for information on creating references for primary sources in some of the most popular citation styles.

The most important thing to remember when including references to primary sources in your paper is that the overall goal is to include enough information in your references so that, if needed, your reader can locate the primary source themselves. Here is some of the information you should look out for and consider when choosing a primary source:

• The name of the author/creator/illustrator, etc.
• The title of the source. A description can be used if there is no title.
• The date that the source was written or created.
• Information about where you accessed the source, such as a database or website.
• Collection name, if there is one.
• Box and folder, if the source was housed in a place that uses such a system, like a library or archive.
• The name of the library or archive that holds the original source.

Here is an example for a citation for a photograph as a primary source in Harvard referencing *:

Wilson, B. (1925) Marcus Garvey enters federal prison in Atlanta. Available at: http://www.exhibitions.nypl.org.

*These guidelines apply to Harvard-Cite Them Right 10 th edition

Here is how you would cite the same photograph in APA style : 

Wilson, B. (Photographer). (1925). Marcus Garvey enters federal prison in Atlanta [photograph]. New York, NY: New York Public Library. Retrieved from http://www.exhibitions.nypl.org.

Here is how you would cite the same photograph in MLA style:

Wilson, Bill. Photograph of Marcus Garvey entering federal prison in Atlanta. 1925. New York Public Library , www.exhibitions.nypl.org.

Depending on the source type (e.g., website, interview, government publication, recording, etc.), the format of the citation will change slightly. The citing tools at CiteThisForMe.com can help! Along with Harvard and APA, you can choose to cite sources in  MLA formatting ,   Chicago format , and thousands of other citation styles .

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Information For Students

I have to write a research paper using primary sources. where do i start.

• What are Special Collections and Archives?
• What is the difference between Primary and Secondary sources?
• How do I cite primary source materials?

Primary sources are created by individuals who participated in or witnessed an event and recorded that event during or immediately after the event.

Explanation:

A student activist during the war writing about protest activities has created a memoir. This would be a primary source because the information is based on her own involvement in the events she describes. Similarly, an antiwar speech is a primary source. So is the arrest record of student protesters. A newspaper editorial or article, reporting on a student demonstration is also a primary source.

Deeds, wills, court documents, military records, tax records, census records, diaries, journals, letters, account books, advertisements, newspapers, photographs, and maps are primary sources.

Secondary sources are created by someone who was either not present when the event occurred or removed from it in time. We use secondary sources for overview information, and to help familiarize ourselves with a topic and compare that topic with other events in history.

History books, encyclopedias, historical dictionaries, and academic articles are secondary sources.

If you've never written a research paper using primary sources, it is important to understand that the process is different from using only secondary sources. Many students discover that finding and gaining access to primary source documents can be difficult. The Library website has a valuable guide to locating primary source documents. Follow the link below to be redirected to that guide:

https://libguides.furman.edu/resources/primary-sources

• Students are encouraged to seek help from the Special Collections Librarian or Research Librarians to aid in their research projects. Librarians will be able to aid students in a variety of ways including helping to locate primary source materials.

After locating appropriate primary sources, it is necessary for students to analyze and interpret them. To many students, this task can seem arduous, if not overwhelming. There are many resources available in the library as well as online, which are helpful. The National Archives website has very useful analysis worksheets that can help students to determine the significance of primary source documents. Links to PDF files of these worksheets are listed below:

Written Document | Artifact | Cartoon | Map | Motion Picture | Photograph | Poster | Sound Recording

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• Next: How do I cite primary source materials? >>
• Last Updated: Oct 21, 2021 2:47 PM
• URL: https://libguides.furman.edu/special-collections/for-students

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