43106 modern world history fall 2001 prof carlsmith guidelines for the primary source analysis topic select one primary source from the time . A primary source is information collected firsthand from historical documents literary texts artistic works experiments surveys and interviews. When you analyze a primary source you are undertaking the most important job of the historian there is no better way to understand events in the past . Primary sources for historical research research paper you are creating a secondary source based on your of primary source congressional . Diaries letters or papers usually written for personal reasons the alkek library has many databases that include primary source documents