What is the examples of primary sources?
DEFINITION: Primary sources are original sources created at the time a historical event occurs (or possibly afterwards) and are directly associated with their creater (or user). Essentially, a primary source is the subjective interpretation of a witness to an event. Primary sources serve as the raw materials historians use to interpret / analyze the past. Show
Some examples include: Diaries Memoirs Letters Advertisements Speeches Newspapers Interviews Government Documents Photographs Works of Art Wills Audio / Video Recordings Maps Manuscripts Research Data Ancient ArtifactsPrimary sources are more credible as evidence, but good research uses both primary and secondary sources. Table of contents
What is a primary source?A primary source is anything that gives you direct evidence about the people, events, or phenomena that you are researching. Primary sources will usually be the main objects of your analysis. If you are researching the past, you cannot directly access it yourself, so you need primary sources that were produced at the time by participants or witnesses (e.g. letters, photographs, newspapers). If you are researching something current, your primary sources can either be qualitative or quantitative data that you collect yourself (e.g. through interviews, surveys, experiments) or sources produced by people directly involved in the topic (e.g. official documents or media texts). Primary sourcesResearch fieldPrimary sourceHistory
What is a secondary source?A secondary source is anything that describes, interprets, evaluates, or analyzes information from primary sources. Common examples include:
When you cite a secondary source, it’s usually not to analyze it directly. Instead, you’ll probably test its arguments against new evidence or use its ideas to help formulate your own. Prevent plagiarism, run a free check.Try for freePrimary and secondary source examplesPrimary and secondary source examplesPrimary sourceSecondary sourceNovelArticle analyzing the novelPaintingExhibition catalog explaining the paintingLetters and diaries written by a historical figureBiography of the historical figureEssay by a philosopherTextbook summarizing the philosopher’s ideasPhotographs of a historical eventDocumentary about the historical eventGovernment documents about a new policyNewspaper article about the new policyMusic recordingsAcademic book about the musical styleResults of an opinion pollBlog post interpreting the results of the pollEmpirical studyLiterature review that cites the studyExamples of sources that can be primary or secondaryA secondary source can become a primary source depending on your research question. If the person, context, or technique that produced the source is the main focus of your research, it becomes a primary source. Documentaries If you are researching the causes of World War II, a recent documentary about the war is a secondary source. But if you are researching the filmmaking techniques used in historical documentaries, the documentary is a primary source. Reviews and essays If your paper is about the novels of Toni Morrison, a magazine review of one of her novels is a secondary source. But if your paper is about the critical reception of Toni Morrison’s work, the review is a primary source. Newspaper articles If your aim is to analyze the government’s economic policy, a newspaper article about a new policy is a secondary source. But if your aim is to analyze media coverage of economic issues, the newspaper article is a primary source. How to tell if a source is primary or secondaryTo determine if something can be used as a primary or secondary source in your research, there are some simple questions you can ask yourself:
Primary vs secondary sources: which is better?Most research uses both primary and secondary sources. They complement each other to help you build a convincing argument. Primary sources are more credible as evidence, but secondary sources show how your work relates to existing research. Tertiary sources are often used in the first, exploratory stage of research. What do you use primary sources for?Primary sources are the foundation of original research. They allow you to:
If you don’t use any primary sources, your research may be considered unoriginal or unreliable. What do you use secondary sources for?Secondary sources are good for gaining a full overview of your topic and understanding how other researchers have approached it. They often synthesize a large number of primary sources that would be difficult and time-consuming to gather by yourself. They allow you to:
When you conduct a literature review or meta analysis, you can consult secondary sources to gain a thorough overview of your topic. If you want to mention a paper or study that you find cited in a secondary source, seek out the original source and cite it directly. Remember that all primary and secondary sources must be cited to avoid plagiarism. You can use Scribbr’s free citation generator to do so! Frequently asked questions about primary and secondary sourcesWhat are some examples of primary sources? Common examples of primary sources include interview transcripts, photographs, novels, paintings, films, historical documents, and official statistics. Anything you directly analyze or use as first-hand evidence can be a primary source, including qualitative or quantitative data that you collected yourself. What are some examples of secondary sources? Common examples of secondary sources include academic books, journal articles, reviews, essays, and textbooks. Anything that summarizes, evaluates or interprets primary sources can be a secondary source. If a source gives you an overview of background information or presents another researcher’s ideas on your topic, it is probably a secondary source. How can you tell if a source is primary or secondary? To determine if a source is primary or secondary, ask yourself:
Some types of source are nearly always primary: works of art and literature, raw statistical data, official documents and records, and personal communications (e.g. letters, interviews). If you use one of these in your research, it is probably a primary source. Primary sources are often considered the most credible in terms of providing evidence for your argument, as they give you direct evidence of what you are researching. However, it’s up to you to ensure the information they provide is reliable and accurate. Always make sure to properly cite your sources to avoid plagiarism. Is a movie a primary or secondary source? A fictional movie is usually a primary source. A documentary can be either primary or secondary depending on the context. If you are directly analyzing some aspect of the movie itself – for example, the cinematography, narrative techniques, or social context – the movie is a primary source. If you use the movie for background information or analysis about your topic – for example, to learn about a historical event or a scientific discovery – the movie is a secondary source. Whether it’s primary or secondary, always properly cite the movie in the citation style you are using. Learn how to create an MLA movie citation or an APA movie citation. Is a newspaper article a primary or secondary source? Articles in newspapers and magazines can be primary or secondary depending on the focus of your research. In historical studies, old articles are used as primary sources that give direct evidence about the time period. In social and communication studies, articles are used as primary sources to analyze language and social relations (for example, by conducting content analysis or discourse analysis). If you are not analyzing the article itself, but only using it for background information or facts about your topic, then the article is a secondary source. Cite this Scribbr articleIf you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.
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