Introduction
Primary vs. Secondary Sources: Primary sources are first-hand accounts of an event (such as a historical occurrence) or phenomenon (such as a scientific study), while secondary sources interpret and analyze primary sources.
Goals
By the end of this module, you will understand what primary and secondary sources are and the basics of how to locate them.
Watch this video to learn how to identify the differences between primary and secondary sources. The video will also provide you with examples of how to use primary and secondary sources within a paper or research project.
To complement what you learned in the video above, please read through the following information:
When your teachers say "primary source," what do they mean? Usually, this term refers to a document or record containing firsthand information or original data on a topic. Primary sources include original manuscripts, articles reporting original research or thought, diaries, memoirs, letters, journals, photographs, drawings, posters, film footage, sheet music, songs, interviews, government documents, public records, eyewitness accounts, newspaper clippings, etc.
By contrast, a secondary source is a document or recording that relates to or discusses information originally presented elsewhere. A secondary source contrasts with a primary source and involves generalization, analysis, synthesis, interpretation, or evaluation of the original information.
There was a time when the only way to use primary sources was to travel all over the country (or the world) visiting museums, historical societies, and libraries with rare materials. Scholars had to obtain research grants and permission to use these collections.
Print and read the following worksheet outlining what types of documents are primary sources, and what types are secondary sources.
Click here to proceed to the next page of the module, Information Life Cycle & Source Types.
Use the information above to find one primary source on your topic, then answer the questions in the attached worksheet.