What is the difference between primary and secondary sources?
Answer
Primary and Secondary Sources differ in when they were created and who created them.
Primary Sources are artifacts or first hand accounts of an event or topic created by an individual or individuals who had a direct connection with the event or topic.
Examples include:
- Personal writings (letters, diaries, autobiographies, emails, social media posts, etc.,)
- Photographs, Artwork, Graphic Designs, etc.,
- Clothing & Textiles
- News Coverage (video, audio, & print)
- Video & Audio
- Data (financial/economic, census, statistics, etc.,)
- Interviews & Speeches (any format)
- Company Records (financial, legal, etc.,)
- Public Records (laws, meeting minutes, etc.,)
- Data and experimental design from experiments
Secondary Sources should meet at least one of the following criteria:
- analyze past conditions or events
- frame a condition or event within a greater context
- interpret and discuss primary sources
- summarize information about a topic based upon primary sources
Examples include:
- Scholarly or other articles about a topic but written by someone not directly involved
- Analysis or interpretation of data or event
- Documentaries
- Most books about a topic or event
For more information on Primary and Secondary Sources, visit the “Primary, Secondary, & Tertiary Sources Guide.”
If you need further help, contact a librarian.