Primary v Secondary Sources
Primary Sources: A primary source is an original document, first hand account of a topic, from a person or persons who had direct connection with a topic or event. Some examples of Primary Documents are:
- Speeches, diaries, letters, and interviews
- Original research
- Surveys, data sets (census records, economic statistics, etc)
- Photographs, video, or audio that capture an event (news reels, newspaper photos, etc)
- Newspaper articles-reports written at the time the event occurred.
Secondary Sources: A secondary source is an article or book that discusses information that was first presented somewhere else. Some examples of Secondary Sources are:
- Biographies
- Most books about a topic
- Scholarly articles about a topic (by people not directly involved)
- Documentaries (although film footage and photos presented might be considered primary sources depending on the footage or image)
