Differentiating between primary and secondary sources.
Primary & Secondary Sources
Primary sources are the raw materials of history, the first-hand testimony or direct evidence - original documents and objects - left behind and created by participants, witnesses, or recorders who were present at and experienced the events or conditions being documented at the time of the topic under study.
Examples of primary sources:
- Autobiographies/Memoirs
- Diaries
- Oral Histories
- Letters/Correspondence
- First-hand newspaper and magazine accounts
- Legal cases, treaties
- Original works of literature, art, or music
- Photographs and films
- Postcards, posters
- Records of organizations or governments
Secondary sources are materials that digest, analyze, evaluate and interpret information contained within primary sources or other secondary sources.
Examples of secondary sources:
- Biographies (not an autobiography)
- Textbooks
- Encyclopedias, dictionaries, handbooks
- Articles, commentaries, research articles in all subject disciplines
- Criticism of works of literature, art and music
When is a Secondary Source a Primary Source?
Whether something is a primary or secondary source is contextual (depends upon perspective and use). A biology textbook would be considered a secondary source if in the field of biology, since it describes and interprets that science but makes no original contribution to it. Conversely, if the topic is science education and the history of textbooks, textbooks could be used as primary sources to look at how they have changed over time. Thus, the same document, or piece of evidence, may be contextualized as a primary source in one investigation and secondary in another. In scholarly research, secondary sources are ideally peer reviewed in order to minimize bias and enhance the scholarly conversation about primary sources.
Primary Source Literacy
- How to Google for Primary SourcesSearch Terms
Creative Commons License CC BY-NC-SA - Robin M. Katz, May 2021. - Evaluating Primary Sources OnlineFor Cultural Heritage Websites
Creative Commons License CC BY-NC-SA - Robin M. Katz, May 2021. - Evaluating Primary Sources OnlineFor Social Media
Creative Commons License CC BY-NC-SA - Robin M. Katz, May 2021. - Guidelines for Primary Source LiteracyCreative Commons License CC BY-NC-SA - Robin M. Katz, May 2021.
Primary Sources Tutorials (ProQuest)
- Primary Sources (ProQuest)Watch this tutorial for an explanation of primary sources.
Books about Primary Sources
Teaching with Primary Sources by ISBN: 9781931666923Publication Date: 2016-07-01
Using Primary Sources: Hands-On Instructional Exercises by ISBN: 9781610694346Publication Date: 2014-03-20
