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Primary Sources
Primary Sources
are immediate, first-hand accounts of a topic,
from people who had a direct connection with it.
Some Examples:
- Photographs, video, or audio that capture an event.Original documents or text of laws.
- Newspaper articles, by reporters who witnessed the event or quotes from people who did.
- Journals, diaries, letters and interviews - what the people involved said or wrote.
- Original scholarly peer-reviewed research articles from journals
- Datasets or survey data -- just the data, not the interpertation of the data.
- Census records, economic records, other data collected by governments
Secondary Sources
Secondary Sources
are one generation removed from primary sources. It is a synopsis or analysis of an event based on the information in primary sources.
Some Examples:
- Most books about a topic.
- Analysis or interpretation of data.
- Scholarly or other articles about a topic, especially by people not directly involved.
- Documentaries (though they often include photos or video portions that can be considered primary sources).
