Primary SourcesPrimary sources were either created during the time period being studied or were created at a later date by a participant in the events being studied (as in the case of memoirs). They reflect the individual viewpoint of a participant or observer. Primary sources enable the researcher to get as close as possible to what actually happened during an historical event or time period. Examples of primary sources include historical newspapers, oral history interviews, posters, photographs, pamphlets, and more.
A secondary source is a work that interprets or analyzes an historical event or phenomenon. It is generally at least one step removed from the event is often based on primary sources. Examples include: scholarly or popular books and articles, reference books, and textbooks.
See the Finding Historical Primary Sources Library Guide for a comprehensive guide to locating primary sources.
Declassified Documents Online: Twentieth-Century British Intelligence
Password for access in March: radicalismstudies
MI5 Records at the UK National Archives
KV1 - First World War historical reports and other papers. Includes some of the earliest Security Service files from the time of its establishment as the Secret Service Bureau, as well as documents relating to the roundup of German spies in World War I.
KV 2 - personal files. Most of the files that we have released to date are in this category. They relate to specific individuals who were being investigated for various reasons concerning national security - generally relating to suspected involvement in espionage or subversion.
KV 3 - subject files containing papers on various national security issues.
KV 4 - policy files dealing with a wide range of matters such as Security Service liaison with other agencies.
KV 5 - organisation files relating to specific groups and organisations investigated for national security reasons.
