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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 |
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Primary This original document has not been previously published or interpreted by anyone else. |
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| 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. |
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Tertiary It leads the researcher to a secondary source, rather than to the primary source. |
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This short video defines the difference between a primary and secondary source of information in looking at the John F. Kennedy assassination. Primary and secondary sources are used to tell the story.
Posted with permission from the University of California San Diego Libraries. Geisel Productions Web Series Defines primary (versus secondary) sources of information: https://youtu.be/CIWuN52_JY4.
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