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Church / Denominational / Ecumenical Resources: Primary Sources

What Are Primary Sources?

Primary sources provide first-hand testimony or direct evidence concerning a topic under investigation. They are created by witnesses or recorders who experienced the events or conditions being documented. Often these sources are created at the time when the events or conditions are occurring, but primary sources can also include autobiographies, memoirs, and oral histories recorded later. Primary sources are characterized by their content, regardless of whether they are available in original format, in microfilm / microfiche, in digital format, or in published format.  For more information on primary sources, see Primary Sources at Yale or contact the Divinity Library Special Collections Librarian, Martha Smalley, at martha.smalley@yale.edu or 203-432-5289.

Guides to Archival Repositories Beyond Yale

Primary Sources: Roman Catholic Papal, Episcopal and Conciliar Documents

Primary Sources: Roman Catholic Documents on Social Justice

Yale Divinity Library

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