Primary
Sources
Primary sources are original materials that have not been evaluated
or interpreted.
They could be documents from the time period that is being
studied such as newspaper accounts from WWII, raw data such as census statistics, or articles/reports
that present research methodology and detailed findings from original research studies.
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Examples
- diaries
- interviews
- letters
- photographs
- speeches
- original documents
- newspapers, articles, books, audio/video
recordings, etc. from the time
period being studied
- works of literature
- statistical data
- survey research
- empirical research articles/reports
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Secondary
Sources
Secondary sources interpret and evaluate primary sources. They also present summarized accounts of previous research.
They are used to help substantiate your position.
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Examples
- books
- dissertations
- biographies
- indexes, abstracts, bibliographies
- journal articles
- commentaries
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