Understanding Primary Sources by Mirela Cufurovic https://padlet.com/westernsydneyuniversity/u5311ep03y1ykxaa What are primary sources and why are they important when learning about history? en-us 2022-07-02 10:56:48 UTC 2025-09-09 13:38:51 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet.net/icons/png/1f4d6.png What is a primary source? mcufurovic https://padlet.com/westernsydneyuniversity/u5311ep03y1ykxaa/wish/2235514364 A primary source is a first-hand or contemporary account of an event or topic.

They are the most direct evidence of a time or event because they were created by people or things that were there at the time or event.

These sources have not been modified by interpretation and offer original thought or new information.

Primary sources are clues from the past.]]> 2022-07-02 11:07:43 UTC https://padlet.com/westernsydneyuniversity/u5311ep03y1ykxaa/wish/2235514364 Where can we find primary sources? mcufurovic https://padlet.com/westernsydneyuniversity/u5311ep03y1ykxaa/wish/2235515230 Many libraries and online websites have primary sources.

In Australia, you can search for primary sources on Trove. It is a database by the National Library of Australia that stores historical documents.

Other libraries you can visit that might have primary sources are state libraries, like the State Library of New South Wales.

You can also find primary sources on many official websites, like government websites.

Some primary sources have been converted into books, like diaries, letters, and autobiographies.

The WSU library may have some primary sources available, especially in their archives.]]> 2022-07-02 11:13:25 UTC https://padlet.com/westernsydneyuniversity/u5311ep03y1ykxaa/wish/2235515230 What are some examples of primary sources? mcufurovic https://padlet.com/westernsydneyuniversity/u5311ep03y1ykxaa/wish/2235516076 Primary sources can be:

  • Texts of laws and other original documents
  • Newspaper reports, by reporters who witnessed an event or who quote people who did
  • Speeches, diaries, letters and interviews - what the people involved said or wrote
  • Original research
  • Datasets, survey data, such as census or economic statistics
  • Photographs, video, or audio that capture an event
  • Artefacts
  • Oral histories, memoirs or autobiographies are examples of primary sources created after the event or time in question but offering first-hand accounts
]]> 2022-07-02 11:18:08 UTC https://padlet.com/westernsydneyuniversity/u5311ep03y1ykxaa/wish/2235516076 Why are primary sources important? mcufurovic https://padlet.com/westernsydneyuniversity/u5311ep03y1ykxaa/wish/2235518213 Primary sources are valuable to historians because they give insight into the ways in which historical figures understood what they experienced.

They help historians understand the context a person lived in and how significant that moment in time was in history. Primary sources can also give historians an understanding of historical figures’ opinions.

Primary sources created by institutions, such as a census or survey, can help document basic statistics concerning an era.]]> 2022-07-02 11:25:53 UTC https://padlet.com/westernsydneyuniversity/u5311ep03y1ykxaa/wish/2235518213 Harvard Referencing Guide mcufurovic https://padlet.com/westernsydneyuniversity/u5311ep03y1ykxaa/wish/2236089680 Refer to this guide on how to reference your sources for your assessments. It is a good idea to read through the list and try to references sources that you study in class so you can get used to it.]]> 2022-07-04 02:09:02 UTC https://padlet.com/westernsydneyuniversity/u5311ep03y1ykxaa/wish/2236089680