To determine if a source is primary or secondary, ask yourself: Was the source created by someone directly involved in the events you’re studying (primary), or by another researcher (secondary)? Does the source provide original information (primary), or does it summarize information from other sources (secondary)?
What is the difference between primary and secondary source?
Primary Sources are directly taken from an individual or group of individuals, while secondary sources take information from an individual or group and analyzes the topic. Remembering this information helps in deciding whether it is a primary or secondary source.
What is the difference between primary and secondary sources?
Secondary sources are often pieces of writing that elaborate on the original source. Primary research comprises original research about various crucial topics. However, for secondary sources, the information obtained from primary sources forms the baseline of the content. Primary sources comprise data obtained from surveys, census, economic ...
What are examples of primary and secondary sources?
What are examples of primary and secondary sources? Primary and Secondary Sources Diaries, letters, memoirs, autobiographies. Interviews, speeches, oral histories, personal narratives. Scientific data and reports. Scholarly journal articles (depends on discipline) Statistical and survey data. Works of art, photographs, music, or literature.
What is the definition of primary and secondary sources?
Primary sources provide a first-hand account of an event or time period and are considered to be authoritative. Secondary sources involve analysis, synthesis, interpretation, or evaluation of primary sources. They often attempt to describe or explain primary sources.
How can I tell the difference between primary and secondary sources?
Sometimes it’s obvious: The actual text of a law you’re citing is clearly a primary source. But what about an interpretive statement of that law? It comes from the agency tasked with enforcing the law and clearly explains the law in plain English, so it’s a primary source to cite in your essay about the effects that law will have, right?
How to tell if a source is primary or secondary?
The easiest way to tell if a source is a primary or secondary source is to ask, “What is this about?” Consider a literary analysis of The Things They Carried. This analytical essay is about a book, making it a secondary source. The Things They Carried, a book about American soldiers’ experiences in the Vietnam War, can also be a relevant secondary source for a paper on the war because it’s a semi-autobiographical collection of short stories by an author who had served in Vietnam.
What are the two main categories of sources?
Sources fall into two main categories: primary sources and secondary sources. Both provide valuable information for you to use in an essay or another kind of academic writing, but they provide very different kinds of value. Read on to learn about the differences between primary and secondary sources and how your writing relies on both.
Why is it important to cite primary sources?
Citing primary sources enables you to back up the statements you make with clear, credible, verifiable data. Basically, if your paper is an original contribution to the existing body of knowledge on the subject you’re covering, the most important sources you work with should be primary sources.
What is a primary source?
A primary source is a firsthand account of an event that happened, data from a study, or an original work. Here are some examples of primary sources:
When you work with a primary source, do you do your own analysis?
When you work with a primary source, you’re doing your own analysis of the work in question. For example, you might read Frankenstein and then write an analytical essay about its themes. If somebody else then reads your writing and cites it in an essay of their own, they’ve used your work as a secondary source (we’ll share more on that later).
Can you use primary and secondary sources?
You’ll most likely have assignments where you use both primary and secondary sources. If you’re working on a piece discussing the topic in a broader sense, secondary sources can complement primary sources to help you back up your position.
What is primary source?
Primary sources are firsthand, contemporary accounts of events created by individuals during that period of time or several years later (such as correspondence, diaries, memoirs and personal histories). These original records can be found in several media such as print, artwork, and audio and visual recording.
What are some examples of primary sources?
Examples of primary sources include manuscripts, newspapers, speeches, cartoons, photographs, video, and artifacts. Primary sources can be described as those sources that are closest to the origin of the information. They contain raw information and thus, must be interpreted by researchers.
What is primary source?
Primary Sources. These sources are records of events or evidence as they are first described or actually happened without any interpretation or commentary. It is information that is shown for the first time or original materials on which other research is based.
What is the classification of sources of information?
These classifications are based on the originality of the material and the proximity of the source or origin.
Is a tertiary source a secondary source?
Tertiary sources are usually not credited to a particular author. Dictionaries/encyclopedias (may also be secondary), almanacs, fact books, Wikipedia, bibliographies (may also be secondary), directories, guidebooks, manuals, handbooks, and textbooks (may be secondary), indexing and abstracting sources.
What are secondary sources?
Secondary sources include specific essays, newspaper articles, reviews, dictionaries, encyclopedias, books, and journal articles . Apparently, it is true to state that the majority of the research papers are usually based on secondary sources since they build on studies or research that have been done by other people. Other types of secondary sources include television shows, videotapes, magazines, CD Rom, books, and other forms of reference materials. The majority of the secondary sources are usually used for completing research papers, or arguing someone else`s main points or thesis in regards to a particular topic. It is essential to note that there are situations where a source can be a secondary source in one journal article and a primary source in a different journal article. It all depends on the kind of relationship existing between the journal article and the writer.
What is primary source?
A primary source means that it is the original book or article that was created by the author or a group of people. You might be wondering about the different types of primary sources that are available. Most people do not know that even published books such as a novel can be used as a primary source. A painting created by an artist can also be used as a primary source. However, in case it was a photocopy of a painting, it would be considered a secondary source. Other forms of primary sources include speeches, newspaper events, journal articles, court cases, photographs, poems, plays, short films and stories, and letters. For example, one of the speeches by President Obama could be used as a primary source. It is essential to note that primary sources usually consist of first-hand information in regard to something such as interviews, court recordings, diaries, or research studies conducted on different experiments.
Why do researchers present their findings in secondary sources?
Since the data contained in the secondary source is collected by a person just like you, the researcher might present the findings to suit his or her interests. In other cases, the researcher might fail to take note of facts and instead write about their opinions and perceptions.
Why is primary source important?
One of the benefits of primary sources is that the information collected by the researcher is shared to other people at will. Therefore, all the gathered information can remain hidden from other competitors.
Why is secondary source not specific to your needs?
The information contained in the secondary source might not be specific to your needs because of the fact that it was collected at a different time or place, or maybe it was intended for a different purpose.
What is the good thing about secondary sources?
The good thing about the secondary sources is that they can be used by people who are not familiar with the different types of qualitative and quantitative research methods. Any person can collect secondary information.
What are some examples of primary sources?
Most common examples of primary data sources include: Interviews, which could be a personal interview, telephone, e-mail; Self-administered surveys and questionnaires; Field observation; Experiments; Life histories; Action research; Case studies; Diary entries, letters, and other correspondence; Eyewitness accounts; Ethnographic research; and Personal narratives.
What are secondary sources?
Secondary sources include books, biographies, articles, dissertations, websites, and documentary films; as long as they were written about a person or historical event at a later time. Many secondary sources get their information from primary sources. Just look at the footnotes or bibliography at the end of the secondary source to see ...
Where do secondary sources get their information?
Many secondary sources get their information from primary sources. Just look at the footnotes or bibliography at the end of the secondary source to see what primary sources were used.
What are some examples of primary sources?
Other examples of primary sources include newspaper articles, autobiographies, maps, government records, art, and films. As long as the item is from the time you’re researching or documents someone’s firsthand experience, it’s a primary source.
Why are notes, letters, photos important sources?
Notes, letters, photos: these are all primary sources because they document Little’s firsthand experiences with the civil rights movement. In your research, you might also find this oral history interview with civil rights activist Nellie Stone Johnson, which is also a primary source.
Why is the newspaper a primary source?
It's a primary source because the newspaper is from the time of the assassination. Even though it’s a photocopy and not the original paper itself, it’s still a primary source.
What does "primary" mean in a narrator?
Narrator: Primary means first or firsthand. So think of primary sources as materials that are firsthand. They’re connected to a historical event because they were created during the time of the event or because they involve someone who participated firsthand.
Does it matter if you look at the original source or a copy of the primary source?
Something else to remember: it doesn’t matter if you’re looking at the original primary source or a copy of the primary source. They are both primary sources.
What Is A Primary Source?
What Is A Secondary Source?
- Secondary sources are a step removed from primary sources. Essentially, they’re sources aboutprimary sources. Secondary sources include: 1. Essays analyzing novels, works of art, and other original creations 2. Textbook passages discussing specific concepts, events, and experiments 3. Biographies of historical and famous people 4. Books about speci...
When to Use Primary vs. Secondary Sources
- Primary and secondary sources fulfill different needs. We touched on these different purposes earlier, but here’s the rest of the explanation: When you’re making a clear assertion of fact or presenting a theory or argument you’ve developed, you need to support your position with primary sources. Citing primary sources enables you to back up the statements you make with clear, cre…
How Can I Tell The Difference Between Primary and Secondary Sources?
- It’s not always easy to tell whether a piece is a primary or secondary source. Sometimes it’s obvious: The actual text of a law you’re citing is clearly a primary source. But what about an interpretive statement of that law? It comes from the agency tasked with enforcing the law and clearly explains the law in plain English, so it’s a primary source to cite in your essay about the ef…
Common Questions About Primary and Secondary Sources
- Can a work of fiction be a source for academic writing?
Yes. When you’re analyzing a fictional work, that fictional work is a primary source and any derivative works are secondary sources. Generally, fictional works aren’t acceptable sources for scientific or historical papers, but may be used as a secondary source if your writing is discussin… - Can I cite a source I’ve written or created?
Yes. In a scientific paper about research you conducted, you refer to the data you collected and the methods you used. In a humanities paper, you might discuss previous research you conducted. In a literary comparison essay, you might discuss a story you wrote. In each of thos…
Give Your Writing Extra Polish
- Once you’ve gathered a body of appropriate, helpful sources, it’s time to get to writing. Don’t worry about perfect grammar or a coherent flow at this point—just write. Once you’ve got a first draft down, Grammarly helps you strengthen your academic writing by catching any grammar mistakes and sentences with a too-casual tone for an academic audience.