From laws and decrees to oral transcriptions, treaties, letters, speeches, historical newspapers and beyond, historians use primary sources to better understand and explain the past. This manual is the first general guidebook to advise on how to distinguish primary sources from other kinds of historical evidence, identify different categories of sources, and learn how primary sources can be used in historical research and writing. In addition to serving as an essential reference for the identification and citation of sources, this comprehensive manual also provides an invaluable guide to evaluating and assessing the quality of the sources that readers will encounter in historical research. The edited collection features the contributions of numerous scholars, and is a must-have tool for students, researchers, and educators.