Primary sources provide a first-hand account of an event or time period and are considered to be authoritative. They represent original thinking, reports on discoveries or events, or they can share new information. Often these sources are created at the time the events occurred but they can also include sources that are created later. They are usually the first formal appearance of original research.
Secondary sources involve analysis, synthesis, interpretation, or evaluation of primary sources. They often attempt to describe or explain primary sources.
Scholarly journals, although generally considered to be secondary sources, often contain articles on very specific subjects and may be the primary source of information on new developments.
Primary and secondary categories are often not fixed and depend on the study or research you are undertaking. For example, newspaper editorial/opinion pieces can be both primary and secondary. If exploring how an event affected people at a certain time, this type of source would be considered a primary source. If exploring the event, then the opinion piece would be responding to the event and therefore is considered to be a secondary source.
Primary sources
Examples of primary resources include:
- diaries, correspondence, ships' logs
- original documents e.g. birth certificates, trial transcripts
- biographies, autobiographies, manuscripts
- interviews, speeches, oral histories
- case law, legislation, regulations, constitutions
- government documents, statistical data, research reports
- a journal article reporting NEW research or findings
- creative art works, literature
- newspaper advertisements and reportage and editorial/opinion pieces
Primary sources can be found using:
- Library collection
- Primary sources for history subject guide
Secondary sources
Secondary sources offer an analysis, interpretation or a restatement of primary sources and are considered to be persuasive. They often involve generalisation, synthesis, interpretation, commentary or evaluation in an attempt to convince the reader of the creator's argument. They often attempt to describe or explain primary sources.
Examples of secondary sources include:
- journal articles that comment on or analyse research
- textbooks
- dictionaries and encyclopaedias
- books that interpret, analyse
- political commentary
- biographies
- dissertations
- newspaper editorial/opinion pieces
- criticism of literature, art works or music
Primary vs. Secondary Sources: A Questionnaire
Answer the questions below about your source. If you answer, “yes” to any of the following questions, there is a good chance the source is PRIMARY.
Did the author personally witness or experience the subject in question?
Does the author know about this subject because of personal experience rather than having just read about it?
Is this source a diary, letter, memoir, autobiography, oral history, or interview of a person with first hand experience of the subject?
Is this source an official document or record published at the time of the event by the government, courts, or another organization?
Is this source a newspaper or magazine article written at the time of the event?
Is this a creative work such as a novel, poem, art or music piece created by a firsthand witness of the subject in question?
Is this an excerpt from a primary source, such as the constitution or a letter written by a Civil War soldier that has been imbedded in a secondary source, such as a textbook?Remember, secondary sources may include reprints of primary sources.
Is this an artifact or relic such as jewelry, pottery, clothing, music, art, architecture, dance or weaponry that was used by witnesses of the subject in question?
Is this a compilation of raw scientific data or statistics, such as census statistics published by the U.S. Census Bureau, that is being published without commentary or interpretation?
Sources of information are often categorized as primary or secondary depending upon their originality.
Click here //vimeo.com/scclibrary/primary-and-secondary-sources/ to view the tutorial.
Primary Sources
A primary source provides direct or firsthand evidence about an event, object, person, or work of art. Primary sources provide the original materials on which other research is based and enable students and other researchers to get as close as possible to what actually happened during a particular event or time period. Published materials can be viewed as primary resources if they come from the time period that is being discussed, and were written or produced by someone with firsthand experience of the event. Often primary sources reflect the individual viewpoint of a participant or observer. Primary sources can be written or non-written (sound, pictures, artifacts, etc.). In scientific research, primary sources present original thinking, report on discoveries, or share new information.
Examples of primary sources:
- Autobiographies and memoirs
- Diaries, personal letters, and correspondence
- Interviews, surveys, and fieldwork
- Internet communications on email, blogs, listservs, and newsgroups
- Photographs, drawings, and posters
- Works of art and literature
- Books, magazine and newspaper articles and ads published at the time
- Public opinion polls
- Speeches and oral histories
- Original documents (birth certificates, property deeds, trial transcripts)
- Research data, such as census statistics
- Official and unofficial records of organizations and government agencies
- Artifacts of all kinds, such as tools, coins, clothing, furniture, etc.
- Audio recordings, DVDs, and video recordings
- Government documents (reports, bills, proclamations, hearings, etc.)
- Patents
- Technical reports
- Scientific journal articles reporting experimental research results
Secondary Sources
Secondary sources describe, discuss, interpret, comment upon, analyze, evaluate, summarize, and process primary sources. A secondary source is generally one or more steps removed from the event or time period and are written or produced after the fact with the benefit of hindsight. Secondary sources often lack the freshness and immediacy of the original material. On occasion, secondary sources will collect, organize, and repackage primary source information to increase usability and speed of delivery, such as an online encyclopedia. Like primary sources, secondary materials can be written or non-written (sound, pictures, movies, etc.).
Examples of secondary sources:
- Bibliographies
- Biographical works
- Reference books, including dictionaries, encyclopedias, and atlases
- Articles from magazines, journals, and newspapers after the event
- Literature reviews and review articles (e.g., movie reviews, book reviews)
- History books and other popular or scholarly books
- Works of criticism and interpretation
- Commentaries and treatises
- Textbooks
- Indexes and abstracts
Primary Sources on the web:
//www.sccollege.edu/Library/Pages/Primary-Sources.aspx