Primary Source vs. Secondary Source* What is primary source? Primary sources are original materials that present initial thinking, report on discoveries, or share new information. Usually, these sources are: Firsthand documents presented during an experience or time period and offer an inside view of a particular event, for example: Legal documents, such as U. S. Code, or court records Historical records, such as "The Declaration of Independence" Interviews Diaries, autobiographies, personal journals News reports Research results generated by experiments, investigations, surveys, studies, etc., for example: Books or scholastic journal articles reporting original research results Books or papers about a specific theory Census data Statistics The original publications of literature in the print or electronic format, and art works, for example: Poems Novels Films, music recordings Paintings, sculptures, photographs What is secondary source? Secondary sources are materials written about primary sources. These sources can be: Interpretations of or discussions about firsthand documents, for example: Law reviews Books or articles in newspapers, magazines or journals about historical documents, news, etc. Biographies Evaluations or analysis of someone's original research results, for examples: Books or papers in scholarly journals about original research reports Books and papers about a specific theory or thought. Encyclopedias Handbooks Commentary or criticism of original literature and art works, for examples: Literary criticism Art criticism Book reviews Movie reviews * The following web sites were consulted in the preparation of this guide: Primary and Secondary Sources and the Research Process - Ithaca College Library. Primary and secondary sources - University Library, SUNY Albany. Primary, Secondary & Tertiary Sources - James Cook University Primary Vs. Secondary Sources - Bowling Green State University. BACK to UTORIAL

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