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Primary Sources: Primary vs. Secondary

Primary sources are original, first-hand testimony.

They tell the story as experienced by witnesses. These sources help depict what actually happened - or at least what someone who was there says he or she experienced. Primary sources may include:

  • Photographs
  • Interviews
  • Novels
  • Speeches
  • Letters
  • Statistical data
  • Artifacts (physical items, such as clothing or signs created during an event)
  • Treaties

Here are some questions you may want to keep in mind when considering the source:

  • When, where, and why was it written?
  • What do you know about the author's role in society or world-view?
  • For whom was it intended? What's its purpose?
  • How typical is this opinion for the period?
  • Is there corroboratory evidence for the author's depiction?
  • What is the context of the document?

Secondary sources comment on, interpret, or analyze primary documents.

The individuals who provide secondary source depictions are somewhat removed from the event they describe. These may provide historical or critical perspectives. They often try to answer the above questions. Often, secondary sources publish their analysis in sources such as:

  • Books
  • Scholarly articles, including peer-reviewed journal articles
  • Government reports
  • In-depth or investigative journalism in newspapers or magazines

Secondary sources, like primary sources, offer additional information but are not inherently neutral. You should assess secondary sources as critically as primary sources. 

Sources are not inherently primary or secondary.

Their purpose depends on how you are using them for your research. 

For example, consider a source such as the White House's webpage on the National Climate Task Force. The same website could be both secondary and primary. 

  • Secondary: President Biden is not out in the field creating new climate change research himself. Instead, the page is a high-level report on policy initiatives and actions being undertaken by many other offices and people in the administration. So if you are researching what the U.S. government is currently doing, the webpage is considered secondary summary and analysis. 
  • Primary: However, if your research involves studying how different governments communicate about their climate strategy, then the webpage would be a primary source, because it is direct communication from the U.S. government about its priorities.