Q. How do I cite primary sources?

The Library of Congress offers APA, MLA, & Chicago style citation guides for a variety of primary sources, including entire websites, articles and essays, cartoons and illustrations, films, government publications, manuscripts, maps, newspapers, oral histories, photographs, and sound recordings. Common examples: 

Manuscripts/Letters

APA:

Last name, First initial Middle initial. (Date). Title of work [Format]. Retrieved from http://...

Example: Keller, H. (1893, 29 August). Helen Keller to John Hitz, August 29, 1893 [Letter.] Retrieved from http://www.loc.gov/item/magbellbib004020.

MLA: 

Last name, First name. “Title.” Date. Form of the material. Institution, city. Title of the Web site. Day Month Year of access. <opt. URL>.

Example: Keller, Helen. “Letter to John Hitz 29 Aug. 1893.” 1893. TS. Lib. of Cong., Washington, D.C. Lib. of Cong. Web. 27 Jan. 2016. <http://www.loc.gov/item/magbellbib004020>.

Oral History Interviews

APA: 

Last name, First initial. Middle initial. (Date). “Title of interview” [Video]. Retrieved from http://...

Example: Patton, G. M. (2011, June 1). Gwendolyn M. Patton oral history interview conducted by Joseph Mosnier in Montgomery, Alabama [Video]. Retrieved from http://www.loc.gov/item/afc2010039_crhp0020/.

MLA: 

Last name, First name. “Title of Interview.” By Name of Interviewer. Day Month Year of Interview. Title of the Web site. Web. Day Month Year of access. ,opt. URL.

Example: Patton, Gwendolen M. “Gwendolyn M. Patton oral history interview conducted by Joseph Mosnier in Montgomery, Alabama, 2011-06-01.” Lib. of Cong. Web. 27 Jan. 2016. <http://www.loc.gov/item/afc2010039_crhp0020/>.

Photographs 

APA: 

Last name, First initial. Middle initial. Title of work (include brackets if the title does so) [Format description]. Retrieved from http://....

Example: O’Sullivan, T. (1863, July). [Incidents of the war. A harvest of death, Gettysburg, July 1863] [Photograph]. Retrieved from http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/cwp2003001110/PP.

MLA: 

Last name, First name. Title. Date of composition. Photograph. Institution, City. Title of the Web site. Web. Day Month Year of access. <opt. URL>.

Example: O'Sullivan, Timothy H. Incidents of the War. A Harvest of Death. c1865. Photograph. Lib. of Cong., Washington D.C. Lib. of Cong. Web. 27 Jan. 2016. <http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/cwp2003001110/PP/>.