Primary Sources and Original Research

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.

• First person account of an event
• First publication of a scientific study
• Speech or lecture
• Original artwork
• Handwritten manuscript
• Letters between two people
• A diary
• Historical documents, e.g. Bill of Rights

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.

• Newspaper reporting on a scientific study
• Review of a music CD or art show
• Biography

Tertiary
A tertiary source is further removed from primary source.

It leads the researcher to a secondary source, rather than to the primary source.

• Bibliography
• Index to articles
• Library catalog 

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.