1. Doing History Day Research
Secondary Sources
Start your research with secondary sources to learn the story.
Primary Sources
Use primary sources as the basis for interpretation.
Always make appointments to use primary source materials.

2. Secondary Sources Books Encyclopedias Articles Websites
Are accounts of the past created by people writing about events after they have happened
Are what historians (and History Day participants) create
Books
Encyclopedias
Articles
Websites
Examples

3. Secondary Sources Provide an introduction to a topic
Provide historical/broader context for a topic
Show how a topic has been interpreted by other historians
Provide hints on where to find primary evidence
Provide information which enables historians to make sense of primary sources

4. Primary Sources: Are left behind by participants or observers
Make personal connections to the past
Are evidence used by historians to
support their interpretation of the past

5. Primary Sources:
Published materials: Books (including memoirs), magazines, and newspapers contemporary to the event

6. Primary Sources:
Unpublished materials: Diaries, letters, manuscripts

7. Primary Sources:
Records: Government documents, census data, birth certificates, organizational minutes, business reports

8. Primary Sources:
Images: Photographs, film, art and posters, advertisements, maps

9. Primary Sources:
Audio:
Oral Histories
Interviews
Recordings

10. Artifacts: Buildings, Tombstones, Clothing
Primary Sources:
Artifacts: Buildings, Tombstones, Clothing

11. Primary Sources: Understand the source: What is it?
Who wrote or made it?
When was it written or made?
Where was it written or made?
How was it written or made?
What evidence does this source contribute to my research?

12. Primary Sources: Interpret the source:
Did the creator have firsthand knowledge?
What biases or hidden agendas did the creator have?
Is the document meant to persuade or inform?
Was the source originally meant to be private or public?
When was the source created? Soon after the event, years later?
Who created the source and for what original purpose?
Why was this document/object written or made?
What questions does this source raise? What don’t we know about this source?
What other information do we have about this document or object?
What other sources are like this one?
What other sources might help answer our questions about this one?
What else do we need to know in order to understand the evidence in this source?
What have others said about this or similar sources?
How does this source help me to answer my key historical questions?
How does evidence from this source alter or fit into existing interpretations of the past?

13. Using Research Sources Recap
Secondary Sources
Start your research with secondary sources to learn the story.
Secondary Sources :
Are accounts of the past created by people writing about events after they have happened.
Are what historians (and History Day participants) create.
Secondary Sources include:
Books
Encyclopedias
Articles
Websites
Secondary Sources:
Provide an introduction to a topic.
Provide historical/broader context for a topic.
Show how has a topic been interpreted by other historians.
Provide hints on where to find primary evidence.
Provide information which enables historians to make sense of primary sources
Primary Sources
Use primary sources as the basis for interpretation.
Primary Sources:
Are left behind participants or observers;
Make personal connections to the past;
Are evidence used by historians to support their interpretation of the past.
Primary Sources Include:
Published materials: Books (including memoirs), magazines, newspapers written at the time of the event
Unpublished materials: Diaries, letters, manuscripts
Records: Government documents, census data, birth certificates, organizational minutes, business reports
Images: Photographs, film, art and posters, advertisements, maps
Audio: Oral Histories, Interviews, Recordings
Artifacts: Buildings, Tombstones, Clothing
Understand Your Primary Sources:
What are they?
Who wrote or made them?
When were they written or made?
Where were they written or made?
How were they written or made?
What evidence do these sources contribute to your research?
Interpret Your Primary Sources:
Did the creator have firsthand knowledge?
What biases or hidden agendas did the creator have?
Is the document meant to persuade or inform?
Was the source originally meant to be private or public?
When was the source created? Soon after the event, years later?
Who created the source and for what original purpose?
Why was this document/object written or made?
What questions does this source raise? What don’t we know about this source?
What other information do we have about this document or object?
What other sources are like this one?
What other sources might help answer our questions about this one?
What else do we need to know in order to understand the evidence in this source?
What have others said about this or similar sources?
How does this source help me to answer my key historical questions?
How does evidence from this source alter or fit into existing interpretations of the past?

14. For More Information:
History Day Research at the University of Washington Libraries
National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) Pacific Alaska Region
Check out uidaho.edu/special-collections/Other.Repositories.html for URLs and other contact information for the colleges, universities, historical societies and museums which hold primary sources for your topics.
Check out uidaho.edu/special-collections/Other.Repositories.html for URLs and other contact information for the colleges, universities, historical societies and museums which hold primary sources for your topics.