How to identify a primary source
- Created by witnesses or recorders who experienced the events or conditions being documented. Primary means “first”, “original” or “direct”.
- They give us first-hand insights to the past.
- They are actual records that have survived from the past. They are in their original form (diaries, letters, photos, etc.) usually without explanation or interpretation.
- Primary sources do not speak for themselves, they need to be interpreted.
- Primary sources document events, people, and viewpoints of the time.
- The nature and value of a source cannot be determined without reference to the topic and questions it is meant to answer.
- Provenance (chain of ownership) needs to be established for personal belongings. Date and authority of sources must be verified before using them in your assignment. In other words, consider a document’s attribution (the name of the author or editor and how the document came into being) first.
- You must remember that primary source material is not always an objective source.
- Primary sources are characterized by their content, regardless of whether they are available in original format, in microfilm/microfiche, in digital format, or in published format.
- They can be either published or unpublished.
What is a secondary source?
A secondary source is an account or interpretation of events created by someone without firsthand experience, usually using primary sources. Secondary sources are usually one or more steps removed from the event.
For example, most history books are secondary sources, written long after historical events took place, and contain excerpts from historical first-hand documents, direct quotes, etc.
Primary vs secondary sources
Can a primary source be a secondary source?
Yes, the same document, or other piece of evidence, may be a primary source in one investigation and secondary in another, depending on the questions you ask. The search for primary sources does not, therefore, automatically include or exclude any category of records or documents.
Documentary example:
If you are researching Feudal Japan by watching a recent documentary on this topic, the documentary would be a secondary source. But if you are researching the filmmaking techniques used in the documentary, the documentary is a primary source.
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