LibGuides: Sino-U.S. Relations since 1900: Home

Primary/Secondary Sources

Primary Source

A document or other piece of historical evidence that is often written or created during or near the period under study. Primary sources vary according to the nature of the topic. Some examples are: letters, manuscripts, diaries, journals, newspapers, speeches, interviews, memoirs, documents from government agencies, photographs, audio and video recordings, research data, objects and artifacts.

Secondary Source

A secondary source interprets and analyzes primary sources. It is one step removed from the subject; it is the result of someone else's contemplation and synthesis of primary sources. Examples are: journal articles, histories, criticisms, commentaries, encyclopedias, and textbooks.

Translating websites

Google language tools lets you:

1. type a search in English and get results in other languages

2. cut and paste from a website in one language and get a translation to another language

Primary Source Sites

FBIS (Foreign Broadcast Information Service), 1974-1996
Presents translated broadcasts, newspaper articles, news wires, and government statements from around the world. Succeeded by World News Connection.
LexisNexis
Primary sources: newspapers, wire services, laws, case law.
Secondary sources: newspapers, law journals.
Congressional Universe
Index and some full-text of U.S. Congressional hearings, committee prints, bills, legislative histories.
Digital National Security Archive
Collections of declassified documents on U.S. foreign and military policy. Example: China and the United States from Hostility to Engagement, 1960-1998.