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When evaluating the quality of the information you are using, it is useful to identify if you are using a Primary, Secondary, or Tertiary source. By doing so, you will be able recognize if the author is reporting on his/her own first hand experiences, or relying on the views of others.
Source Type Examples
Primary
A primary source is a first person account by someone who experienced or witnessed an event.
This original document has not been previously published or interpreted by anyone else.
Secondary
A secondary source is one step removed from the primary original source. The author is reexamining, interpreting and forming conclusions based on the information that is conveyed in the primary source.
Tertiary
A tertiary source is further removed from primary source.
It leads the researcher to a secondary source, rather than to the primary source.
Note: Determining whether a source is primary or secondary can be tricky, as the same source could sometimes be primary or secondary depending on how you use it. ex: Ken Burns' documentary of the Civil War is a secondary source for Civil War researchers, but a primary source for those studying documentary filmmaking.
REMEMBER- you cannot always tell what kind of source it is based on where it appears (book, newspaper, academic journal, etc.) - when in doubt ask your instructor or a librarian.