Primary vs. Secondary Sources

More information on Primary, Secondary, & Tertiary Sources

Tutorial on Resource Types

What is a Primary Source?

► A firsthand, eyewitness account of an event or time period

► Usually written or made during or close to the event or time period

Primary Source Examples:

• diaries, journals, letters
• social media posts, tweet, blogs
• period newspapers (factual accounts)
• original research, datasets
• government documents
• speeches
• interviews with event participants or witnesses
• photographs, posters, advertisements
• works of art (paintings, drawings, sculptures)
• works of literature, film, and music created at the time

What is a Secondary Source?

► Offer a secondhand account, review or a critique of an event or time period

► Usually written well after the event that is being researched

► May analyze, describe, or restate information in primary resources or other secondary resources. 

Secondary Source Examples:

• biographies
• articles that interpret or review previous findings
• book reviews
• books of critical essays

What is a Tertiary Source?

► Provide overviews of topics by compiling information gathered from other resources

Tertiary Source Examples:

• encyclopedias
• dictionaries
• almanacs
• textbooks