primary vs secondary sources
TRANSCRIPT
March 30, 2016
Primary vs. Secondary Sources
Firsthand vs. Secondhand Accounts
March 30, 2016
When doing research online, it's important to look for primary sources first. What's the difference?
Primary Source:A first-hand, original account, record, or evidence about a person, place, object, or an event. Oral histories, objects, photographs, and documents such as newspapers, ledgers, census records,
diaries, journals, and inventories, are primary sources.
Secondary Source:An account, record, or evidence derived from an original or primary source. Textbooks are
secondary sources. Wikipedia is an online secondary source.
Remember, when researching online, use websites that provide primary sources, like the ones listed below. Websites that end in .gov (government) or .edu (education) are also good places to
find correct information.
March 30, 2016
Firsthand Account - coming directly from the original source.
Secondhand Account - not original; taken from someone or something else.
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When doing research online, it's important to look for primary sources first. What's the difference?
Primary Source:A first-hand, original account, record, or evidence about a person, place, object, or an event. Oral histories, objects, photographs, and documents such as newspapers, ledgers, census records,
diaries, journals, and inventories, are primary sources.
Secondary Source:An account, record, or evidence derived from an original or primary source. Textbooks are
secondary sources. Wikipedia is an online secondary source.
Remember, when researching online, use websites that provide primary sources, like the ones listed below. Websites that end in .gov (government) or .edu (education) are also good places to
find correct information.
March 30, 2016
Primary sources are original materials.
Primary sources (also called original source or evidence) are ar2facts, documents, recordings, or other sources of informa2on that were created at the 2me under study. However, primary sources can include memoirs, autobiographies and oral histories recorded later.
Secondary sources, are sources which cite, comment on, or build upon primary sources. Generally, accounts wri>en a?er the fact are secondary. They interpret and analyze primary sources.
Primary vs. Secondary Sources
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Examples of Primary Sources
Original Documents – diaries, speeches, manuscripts, le>ers, interviews, news film footage, autobiographies, official records, photographs, maps, postcards, government records, posters.
Crea8ve Works – poetry, drama, art, novels, music, plays, pain2ngs, drawings, sculptures
Relics or Ar8facts – furniture, clothing, po>ery, buildings
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Examples of Secondary Sources
Publica8ons: Textbooks, magazine ar2cles, histories, cri2cisms, commentaries, encyclopedias.
Biographies
Book, Art and Theatre reviews
Newspaper ar2cles that interpret
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The Library of Congress
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The American Memory Collection
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AUTHOR Who created the source? What do you know about the author? What is the author’s point of view?
PLACE AND TIME Where and when was the source produced? How might this affect the meaning of the source?
PRIOR KNOWLEDGE Beyond informa2on about the author and the context of its crea2on, what do you know that would help you further understand the primary source? For example, do you recognize any symbols and recall what they represent?
AUDIENCE For whom was the source created and how might this affect the reliability of the source?
REASON Why was this source created at the 2me it was produced?
THE MAIN IDEA What point is the source trying to convey?
SIGNIFICANCE Why is this source important? What inferences can you draw from this document? Ask yourself, “So what?” in rela2on to the ques2on asked.
APPARTS -‐ An acronym of prompts for the analysis of primary sources
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