Finding Primary Sources

A primary source in history is a document or artifact created during the time under study. Some examples of primary sources include:

• Political documents
• Speeches
• Oral histories
• Letters and correspondence
• Memoirs, diaries, and journals
• Personal or business papers, reports, etc.
• Pamphlets
• Cartoons, artwork, or photographs
• Newspaper or magazine articles
• Advertisements

(Image: Provo, Utah, c. 1920s, from the Larson Studio Negative Collection via Mountain West Digital Library)

To find primary sources in the library's collections, search OneSearch (see below) by combining a search term for your topic with a type of primary source document. It can be helpful to limit your search to books.

Some examples of searches include:

• "American Revolution" AND documents
• Patton AND papers
• Vietnam AND "oral history"
• "Underground Railroad" AND letters
• Lincoln AND correspondence
• secession AND pamphlet
• Overland AND diary
• plague AND source

OneSearch is the Fulton Library's main database. It allows you to search the library's articles, books, streaming media, and more. OneSearch includes resources on almost every topic, making it a great place to start your research!

To use OneSearch, go to the UVU Fulton Library Homepage link below. OneSearch is the main search box on the page. Enter search terms into the box, then hit enter or click the magnifying glass. Once your search runs, you can filter your results clicking the All Filters button that appears below the search box. 

Librarians are here to help you in a variety of ways! We are experts in doing research and can help with all steps in the research process.

  •  In Person: The Research Help Desk is located on the first floor of the library. Librarians at this desk can help with research questions or provide assistance using library resources. No appointment is needed for help at the Research Help Desk.

  •  Call: 801.863.8840

  •  Text: 801.290.8123