Sometimes, the newest technology provides a better way to connect with the wisdom of the past. Such is the case with primary source digital archives. Advanced digitization and intelligent content management technologies have moved beyond simply preserving rare and unique research. Now, it brings that work to life. Unlike journals, which present a history of research and analyses published over time, digital archives tell the story behind the findings—presenting not only the original research, but all the data, papers, illustrations, ideas and other materials that went into the creation of those publications. Instead of only accessing scholarly output, today’s primary source digital archives enable researchers to mentally travel back in time; immersing themselves into the content as if they were there—and do it all without going any further than their laptops or libraries. However, because these resources are so unique, their adoption can come with a learning curve. To better understand the current challenges and opportunities around adopting primary source digital archives, in August of 2018, the Wiley Digital Archives team conducted an in-depth survey that included researchers, students, faculty members and librarians worldwide. The user group sampling of 1,496 included 1,060 graduate students and 732 faculty members, as well as a smaller number of undergraduate students, post-doctorate fellows and research scientists. All had used primary sources in the past. The purchasing group sampling included 272 librarians whose institutions had previously purchased primary source digital archives. The bulk of these respondents hailed from research- and teaching-intensive universities, with a smaller percentage representing specialized research institutes and community colleges. This paper summarizes our findings, addresses the challenges, and also offers practical advice on how to get the most out of this new wealth of content.
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