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Interpreting Primary and Secondary Sources

Example Thumbnails Diaries Newspapers Publications Electronic Records Audiovisual Official Documents Photographs

Electronic Records

Are electronic records ... Primary?     or     Secondary?

Electronic records in the form of e-mail, databases, text documents, spreadsheets, digital images, and webpages are entering archives at an increased rate. Because these records are machine-readable, archives may not always be able to retrieve the information on the electronic media if they do not have the proper equipment or software. Metadata, or, information about the records, can help archivists and researchers better understand the content and context of an electronic record.

electronic example image

Mouse over the image to learn more about electronic records.

Photograph of different types of electronic records media.

Special Collections, University of Maryland Libraries