Primary sources are original sources, in which witnesses or first recorders describe a time, person or event. They are the subjective interpretation of a witness to an event and serve as the materials historians use to analyze the past. Primary sources can either be the original document or published at a later date in electronic, microfilm and printed collections.
Some types of primary sources include:
published materials (books, magazine and newspaper articles) written at the particular time
handwritten documents, such as diaries and journals
speeches, interviews, letters
memoirs and autobiographies
laws and court cases
records of government agencies
records of organizations
public opinion polls
fiction from a particular time and place
photographs, audio recordings, movies and videos
art, including paintings, prints and other media
artifacts, such as furniture, clothing, tools, clothing, jewelry, pottery, etc.
Vyanzo vya msingi ni vyanzo vya awali, ambapo mashahidi au waandishi wa kwanza huelezea wakati, mtu au tukio. Ni tafsiri ya kibinafsi ya shahidi wa tukio na hutumika kama vifaa ambavyo wanahistoria hutumia kuchanganua wakati uliopita. Vyanzo vya msingi vinaweza kuwa hati ya awali au kuchapishwa baadaye katika mkusanyiko wa elektroniki, microfilm na kuchapishwa. Vitu vilivyochapishwa (vitabu, magazeti na makala za magazeti) vilivyoandikwa kwa mkono, kama vile maandishi ya siku na maandishi ya mazungumzo, mahojiano, barua, kumbukumbu na autobiographies, sheria na kesi za mahakama, rekodi za mashirika ya serikali, rekodi za mashirika ya maoni ya umma, maoni ya hadithi, picha za wakati na mahali, rekodi za sauti, filamu na video, sanaa, pamoja na michoro, uchapishaji na vifaa vingine vya vyombo vya habari, kama vile fanicha, nguo, vifaa, na vifaa.