LibGuides: Social sciences and human rights: Primary sources

Primary sources

Primary sources are original materials created during a specific time by individuals, groups or government agencies. They can take various formats, for example: diaries, images, film, sound recordings, government publications and newspapers. These sources have not been modified by additional interpretation and can be seen as the 'raw' materials of the period, person or events being studied.

Our Archives and Special Collections website gives details of our rich collections at GCU. The Archives Hub has information on archive collections across the UK.

19th Century UK Periodicals
This collection includes periodicals published between 1800-1900. It will be of interest to historians and students of nineteenth century culture, empire, feminism, sport and leisure and science and medicine.
Statistical Accounts of Scotland 1790 and 183
The two Statistical Accounts of Scotland, covering the 1790s and the 1830s, are among the best contemporary reports of life during the agricultural and industrial revolutions in Europe. Based largely on information supplied by each parish church minister, the original (First) Statistical Account and the New (Second) Statistical Account provide a rich record of a wide variety of topics: wealth, class and poverty; climate, agriculture, fishing and wildlife; population, schools, and the moral health of the people.
John Johnson Collection
65,000 colour images from the Bodleian Library's John Johnson collection of 18th, 19th and early 20th century printed ephemera, including posters, handbills, broadsides, prints and prospectuses.
British Periodicals Collections
Includes the full text of hundreds of periodicals from the late 17th century to the early 20th, with over six million page images. A wide range of different types of periodical are included in this collection - from family magazines and penny weeklies, special interest periodicals, arts & literature reviews, through to professional publications

UK Parliamentary Papers
UK Parliamentary Papers provides complete online coverage of the sessional papers of the British House of Commons and the 19th Century House of Lords. These historical papers form a remarkable historical record of Britain, its colonies, and the wider world.The collection provides primary material covering all areas of social, political, economic and foreign policy. Collection comprises: Bills and Acts 1695-2004, Command Papers 1833-2004, House of Commons Papers 1715-2004, House of Lords Papers 1714-1805, Hansard 1803-2005, Journals 1688-1834, Debates 1774-1805 and Histories and Proceedings 1660-1743.
Cabinet Papers 1915-1984
Part of the National Archive these papers have been grouped by theme. You can also search them by keyword. The collection also includes maps from 1900-2000.

Wartime News
Wartime News is a collection of reminiscences of veterans of WWll. The magazine was published from 1995-2011. GCU Archives and Special Collections has it in print from 2001-2011.
Welsh Voices of the Great War Online
This resource presents a superb collection of material connected to the Great War collected from Welsh families. Includes letters, postcards, drawings, photographs and medals. As well as objects collected from the front,
Sudan Archive at Durham
In the year after Sudanese independence, the Sudan Archive was formed to collect and preserve papers from former officials, soldiers, missionaries, businessmen, and individuals who served or lived in the Sudan during the Anglo-Egyptian Condominium period (1899-1955).
The Serving Soldier
This is a growing and varied digital archive, covering the lives of soldiers from 1899 to 1918 and spanning the Second Boer War, Younghusband Expedition and World War One. Letters, photographs, posters, military booklets and campaign notes create a vivid picture of life as a serving solder.

Newspapers

For current newspapers see our Newspaper, television and sound archives guide

British Cartoon Archive
The BCA holds artwork for over 200,000 British editorial, socio-political, and pocket cartoons, supported by large collections of comic strips, newspaper cuttings, books and magazines. Artwork in the British Cartoon Archive (BCA) dates from 19th century to the present day, and includes work by over 300 artists including Carl Giles, W.K. Haselden, David Low and Nicholas Garland.
The Burney Collection
is the largest and most comprehensive collection of early English news media, including newspapers, pamphlets, broadsides and books. The collection spans the development of the concept of news, newspapers and free press in the 17th and 18th Centuries. Items can be magnified or reduced in size for easier screen reading and users may save or print article images.
Early American newspapers 1801-1900
Offering titles from all 50 states, Early American Newspapers, 1801-1900 features 500 digitized historical newspapers selected to provide extensive coverage and political, geographic and chronological balance.
Gale Cengage 19th Century British Library Newspapers
Full text digital collection of national, regional and local newspapers in Britain 1800-1900. Including the Glasgow Herald (1820-1900).

TV and moving images

See our TV archives guide.

Radio and sound archives

See our radio and sound archives guide.