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Primary vs. Secondary Sources
Primary sources are documents or records created by witnesses or participants of past events
Secondary sources interpret, analyze or draw conclusions from primary sources. They are createdafter the event.
Primary sources are original, uninterpreted information (Original = Primary = First)
Unedited, firsthand access to words, images, or objects created by persons directly involved in an activity or event or speaking directly for a group. This is information before it has been analyzed, interpreted, commented upon, spun, or repackaged. Depending upon the context, these may include treaties, research reports, legal cases, charters, constitutions, parliamentary debates, ambassador's reports, statutes, administrative regulations, speeches, manuscripts, diaries, personal letters, photographs, video footage, posters, diplomatic records, etc.
Secondary
Secondary sources interpret, analyze, or summarize (Not original = Secondary = Not first)
Commentary upon, or analysis of, events, ideas, or primary sources. Because they are often written significantly after events by parties not directly involved but who have special expertise, they may provide historical context or critical perspectives. Examples are scholarly books, journals, magazines, criticism, interpretations, and so forth.
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Secondary sources:
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Primary vs. Secondary Sources Examples
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Primary Source |
Secondary Source |
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Writing the Gettysburg Address by Martin P. Johnson |
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Margaret Bourke White's photographs of Dust Bowl farmers during the Great Depression |
A documentary by PBS about the era of the Dust Bowl farmer |
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Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare |
An article in a literary journal about dreams in that play |
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The book, The Versailles Treaty and Its Legacy of Versailles by Norman Graebner |
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Results of a study on home births published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal |
An article analyzing data about homebirths quoting that study |
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The movie, The Godfather |
Roger Ebert's review of The Godfather |
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Results of an opinion poll regarding the Iraq War |
An article in the Washington Post about the war incorporating that data |
| A research study that looks at the political differences between liberals and conservatives |
A newspaper article about the research study |