Primary vs. Secondary Sources

Primary vs. Secondary Sources

What's the Difference Between Them?

Primary Sources Secondary Sources
Definition: Main text or work that you are discussing, actual data or research results, or historical documents, or first-hand testimony

Examples:
Diaries, journals, speeches, interviews, letters, memos, manuscripts, memoirs, autobiographies, government records, records of organizations (e.g., minutes, reports, correspondence).

Published materials (books and journal/newspaper articles) written at the time of a particular event.

Documentary: photographs, audio recordings, movies, or videos.

Public opinion polls, field notes, scientific experiments, artifacts.

Reprinted primary sources (often in reference books).

Maps, oral histories, postcards, court records, paintings, sculptures, consumer surveys, patents, schematic drawing, technical reports, personal accounts, jewelry, private papers, deeds, wills, proceedings, census data.

Secondary Sources

Definition:
Records generated by an event but generally written by non-participants in the event. Based on or derived from primary sources--but the most important point is that they have been interpreted, or analyzed.

Examples:
Encyclopedias, chronologies, fact books.

Biographies, monographs, dissertations.

General histories.

Most journal articles (except those discussed under primary sources).

Most published books (except those discussed under primary sources) such as textbooks.