Primary and Secondary Sources
Primary Sources |
|
Secondary Sources |
Artwork |
Article critiquing the piece of art |
|
Diary |
Book about a specific subject |
|
Interview |
Biography |
|
Letters |
Dissertation |
|
Performance |
Review of play |
|
Poem |
Treatise on a particular genre of poetry |
|
Treaty |
Essay on a treaty |
Primary Sources are immediate, first-hand accounts of a topic, from people who had a direct connection with it. Primary sources can include:
Texts of laws and other original documents.
Newspaper reports, by reporters who witnessed an event or who quote people who did.
Speeches, diaries, letters and interviews - what the people involved said or wrote.
Original research.
Datasets, survey data, such as census or economic statistics.
Photographs, video, or audio that capture an event.
Secondary Sources
Secondary Sources are one step removed from primary sources, though they often quote or otherwise use primary sources. They can cover the same topic, but add a layer of interpretation and analysis. Secondary sources can include:
Most books about a topic.
Analysis or interpretation of data.
Scholarly or other articles about a topic, especially by people not directly involved.
Documentaries (though they often include photos or video portions that can be considered primary sources).
Whether something is a primary or secondary source often depends upon the topic and its use.
A biology textbook would be considered a secondary source if in the field of biology, since it describes and interprets the science but makes no original contribution to it.
On the other hand, if the topic is science education and the history of textbooks, textbooks could be used a primary sources to look at how they have changed over time.
Information retrieved from: Primary Sources: A Research Guide. (2016). In Healey Library at the University of Massachusetts Boston . Retrieved October 14, 2016, from http://umb.libguides.com/c.php?g=351019&p=2367357
To sign up for Gmail, create a Google Account.
It's free to create a Google Account. You can use the username and password for your Google Account to sign in to Gmail and other Google products like YouTube, Google Play, and Google Drive.
To share something with more than one person without entering individual email addresses, you can create a link that allows anyone to open it.
To stop sharing a file: