Answer:
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).
A secondary source is anything that describes, interprets, evaluates, or analyzes information from primary sources. Common examples include: 1. Books, articles and documentaries that synthesize information on a topic 2. Synopses and descriptions of artistic works 3. Encyclopedias and textbooks that summarize information and ideas 4. Reviews and essays that evaluate or interpret something When you cite a secondary source, it’s usually not to analyze it directly.
Examples of sources that can be primary or secondary:
A 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.
To determine if something can be used as a primary or secondary source in your research, there are some simple questions you can ask yourself: 1. Does this source come from someone directly involved in the events I’m studying (primary) or from another researcher (secondary)? 2. Am I interested in analyzing the source itself (primary) or only using it for background information (secondary)?
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.
