Primary versus Secondary Sources
Is it a primary source or a secondary source?
| Primary Sources | Secondary Sources |
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Primary sources are documents or other sorts of evidence written or created during the time under study or by one of the persons or organizations directly involved in the event. |
Secondary sources interpret and analyze primary sources. Secondary sources are one step removed from the event. |
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Some types are: *Original documents (excerpts or translations acceptable) *Diaries, speeches, letters, interviews, autobiographies, minutes or photographs *Raw research data, government documents or news film footage *Creative works like poetry, music, art or films *Relics or artifacts like jewelry, pottery or a building |
Some types are: *Textbooks, journal articles, histories, criticism, commentaries or encyclopedias *Newspaper or magazine articles about events or people |
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Examples of primary sources: *Bible (Hebrew customs in Bible times) *Diary of Anne Frank (experience of Jews in WWII) *Plato's Republic (women in ancient Greece) |
Examples of secondary sources: *A book about the effects of World War I *A journal article that explicates a poem *A biography *Literary criticism analyzing a play, poem, novel or short story |
