REL 260: Introduction to Religion (Dr. Phil Dorroll): Primary Sources

Primary sources are first hand accounts of historical events created during the period being studied. Primary sources may be text (letters, diaries, newspaper articles) or multimedia (news reporting, sound recordings of speeches, photographs). Hover over the titles of each resource for notes about finding primary sources at each site.

Primary sources for recent world events can be found on many websites.  Here are some ideas for you to explore.

• Al Jazeera and other English-language news sources from around the world
• United Nations documents and resolutions
• Government documents from individual nations - see Turkey's Ministry of Foreign Affairs as an example
• Twitter, YouTube, and social media reporting of major world events
• Writings or videos of speeches from religious leaders

• Document analysis worksheets from the National Archives - these worksheets can help you gather your thoughts about a primary source and identify important or unique characteristics of your item.
• How to Analyze a Primary Source from Carleton College - important questions to ask yourself as you work with primary documents