What is a primary source?
The Oxford English Dictionary's definition of the word "primary"
1. Occurring or existing first in a sequence of events; belonging to the beginning or earliest stage of something; first in time.
A primary source is an original document or object, something that was created or written during the time that is being researched. It is first-hand information from someone who was present at the scene of action or witnessed an event when it occurred. It gives us an up, close and personal view of a particular event or time.
Examples of primary sources:
Advertisements
Artifacts and Relics such as pottery, furniture, clothing, coins, implements, etc.
Audio/Video Recordings
Autobiographies
Census and Demographic Records
Creative works such as poetry, drama, fiction, music, art
Diaries
Dissertations
Experiments, clinical trials
Government Documents
Historical documents such as charters, constitutions, etc.
Interviews
Journal articles reporting original research, empirical data, statistics, etc.
Legal documents (laws and legislative hearings)
Letters and correspondences
Manuscripts
Maps and Atlases (Those created at the time of the event such as battelfield maps created during a war are primary sources but those created later are secondary sources)
Memoirs
News footage
Official Records
Pamphlets
Papers delivered at conferences
Personal narratives
Photographs
Posters
Speeches
What is a Secondary Source?
The Oxford English Dictionary definition of the word "secondary":
Belonging to the second order in a series related by successive derivation, causation, or dependence; derived from, based on, or dependent on something else which is primary; not original, derivative.
A secondary source interprets and analyzes a primary source. These sources are one or two steps removed from the event or occurrence. They may include comments, discussions, reviews and explanations; they are considered second-hand sources because they are based on the primary source. A secondary source may contain quotes, graphics or pictures of primary sources in them.
Examples of Secondary Sources:
Bibliographies
Biographies
Books that discuss or analyze a topic
Commentaries
Criticisms
Encyclopedias
Indexes and Abstracts
Journal or magazine articles that interpret or discuss previous research findings
Newspaper articles that interpret a topic or event (Articles that report first-hand about a topic are considered primary sources).
Reviews of art, books, movies, plays, etc.
Textbooks
For more extensive and in-depth information about primary and secondary sources see Literature Librarian Winnie Shyam's Primary and Secondary Sources Research Guide.
