In humanities disciplines, a primary source:

• Is anything produced by humans during the time period under consideration:
  • Texts, whether published (books, articles, patents, transcripts) or unpublished (diaries, notes, manuscripts);
  • Imaginative work, such as paintings, music, movies, or novels;
  • Visual resources, such as photographs or newsreels;
  • Sound recordings, such as interviews;
  • Material culture, such as scientific instruments, clothing, or garbage dumps.