How do you identify primary and secondary sources?
To determine if a source is primary or secondary, ask yourself: Was the source created by someone directly involved in the events you're studying (primary), or by another researcher (secondary)?
A Primary Source is information that was created at the same time as an event or by a person directly involved in the event. Diaries, speeches, letters, official records, autobiographies. A Secondary Source gets its information from somewhere else or by a person not directly involved in the event.
Primary sources provide raw information and first-hand evidence. Examples include interview transcripts, statistical data, and works of art. Primary research gives you direct access to the subject of your research. Secondary sources provide second-hand information and commentary from other researchers.
| Primary Sources | Secondary Sources |
| Artwork | Article critiquing the piece of art |
| Diary | Book about a specific subject |
| Interview | Biography |
| Letters | Dissertation |
Differences Between a Primary and Secondary Source
Primary sources offer raw information, or the first-hand evidence compiled by research, whereas secondary sources interpret or analyze the information from primary sources.
A primary source is a first-hand or contemporary account of an event or topic. Primary sources are the most direct evidence of a time or event because they were created by people or things that were there at the time or event. These sources offer original thought and have not been modified by interpretation.
Secondary sources offer an analysis, interpretation or a restatement of primary sources and are considered to be persuasive. They often involve generalisation, synthesis, interpretation, commentary or evaluation in an attempt to convince the reader of the creator's argument.
A primary source provides direct or firsthand evidence about an event, object, person, or work of art. Primary sources include historical and legal documents, eyewitness accounts, results of experiments, statistical data, pieces of creative writing, audio and video recordings, speeches, and art objects.
Primary data are those that are collected for the first time. Secondary data refer to those data that have already been collected by some other person. These are original because these are collected by the investigator for the first time.
Examples of Secondary Sources:
Textbooks, edited works, books and articles that interpret or review research works, histories, biographies, literary criticism and interpretation, reviews of law and legislation, political analyses and commentaries.
How do you differentiate primary from secondary sources give at least 3 examples for each?
| Primary Sources | Secondary Sources |
|---|---|
| 路 painting or object of art | 路article reviewing or criticizing the art |
| 路 personal diary or letter(s) | 路book about the person or event |
| 路 treaty (government document) | 路essay interpreting the document |
| 路 poem, novel, short story, etc. | 路literary criticism of the work |
How do Primary and Secondary Sources differ? While primary sources are the original records created by firsthand witnesses of an event, secondary sources are documents, texts, images, and objects about an event created by someone who typically referenced the primary sources for their information.
Primary sources are almost always produced in the time period you are researching. For example, newspaper articles can be both primary and secondary sources.
Examples of secondary sources are scholarly or popular books and journal articles, histories, criticisms, reviews, commentaries, encyclopedias, and textbooks.
Primary data collection sources include surveys, observations, experiments, questionnaire, personal interview, etc. On the contrary, secondary data collection sources are government publications, websites, books, journal articles, internal records etc.
- Journal Articles.
- Books.
- Dissertations and Theses.
- Documentaries.
A primary source is not an original document, but something that was written at the time of the event. A secondary source is an interpretation of the primary source. Primary sources are based on actual occurrence or event while secondary sources are based on analysis, criticism, or evaluation of an event.
There are two types of quantitative primary data collection: online surveys and observation studies.
Secondary data (also known as second-party data) refers to any dataset collected by any person other than the one using it. Secondary data sources are extremely useful.
- Diaries, letters, memoirs, autobiographies.
- Interviews, speeches, oral histories, personal narratives.
- Scientific data and reports.
- Scholarly journal articles (depends on discipline)
- Statistical and survey data.
- Works of art, photographs, music, or literature.
- Archeological artifacts.
What are the 7 secondary sources?
- Books and book chapters.
- Journal and newspaper articles.
- Reports, theses and grey literature.
- Web sources.
- Conference papers.
- Images, tables and figures.
- Music and audiovisual resources.
- Data sets and standards.
Primary data are the original data derived from your research endeavours. Secondary data are data derived from your primary data. Often, the distinction between primary and secondary data may be less than clear. In conducting research, you will collect and create both types of research data.
- Books aggregating information on a specific topic.
- Educational textbooks.
- Thesis papers and dissertations.
- Reviews and critiques of artwork.
- Biographies (not autobiographies)
- Reports collecting data from other studies.
- Nonpersonal essays and editorials.
Primary Sources in Specific Disciplines
Autobiographical accounts written at a later date are also considered primary sources. Letters, diaries, journal entries, public records as well as contemporaneous newspapers articles offer solid examples of this type of primary source.
Primary data sources include; Surveys, observations, experiments, questionnaires, focus groups, interviews, etc., while secondary data sources include; books, journals, articles, web pages, blogs, etc. These sources vary explicitly and there is no intersection between the primary and secondary data sources.
References
- https://www.grammarly.com/blog/secondary-sources/
- https://www.formpl.us/blog/primary-secondary-data
- https://www.resonio.com/blog/primary-data-collection-types-advantages-and-disadvantages/
- https://crk.umn.edu/library/primary-secondary-and-tertiary-sources
- https://library.bowdoin.edu/research/primary-and-secondary-sources.shtml
- https://www.formpl.us/blog/primary-secondary-sources
- https://ginnlibrary.tufts.edu/get-help/help-research/starting-your-research/primary-and-secondary-sources
- https://history.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/Primary-and-Secondary-Sources-Quiz_fill-1.pdf
- https://libguides.csudh.edu/c.php?g=731504&p=5225577
- https://byjus.com/commerce/difference-between-primary-data-and-secondary-data/
- https://www.deakin.edu.au/library/research/manage-data/plan/primary-versus-secondary-data
- https://careerfoundry.com/en/blog/data-analytics/what-is-secondary-data/
- https://library.uhv.edu/sources
- https://www.georgewbushlibrary.gov/s3fs-public/2021-09/ElementaryLP_PrimarySecondarySources_Web.pdf
- https://library.shu.edu/primarysources
- https://www.wgu.edu/blog/what-difference-between-primary-secondary-source2304.html
- https://www.library.unsw.edu.au/using-the-library/information-resources/primary-and-secondary-sources
- https://libguides.lehman.edu/history/primary-secondary-sources
- https://libguides.libraries.wsu.edu/c.php?g=509002&p=3481145
- https://byjus.com/question-answer/what-are-primary-data-and-secondary-data-which-of-the-two-is-more-reliable-and/
- https://guides.library.uwa.edu.au/apa/secondary_sources
- https://umb.libguides.com/PrimarySources/secondary
- https://www.scribbr.com/working-with-sources/primary-and-secondary-sources/
- https://uwyo.libguides.com/c.php?g=97853&p=632756
