Primary Source
A primary source is an eyewitness account of an event or data obtained through original statistical or scientific research.
What are some examples of primary sources?
Secondary Source
A secondary source interprets and analyzes primary sources. These sources are one or more steps removed from the event. Secondary sources may include pictures of primary sources or quotes from them. Some types of secondary sources include: journal/magazine articles, textbooks, commentaries, and encyclopedias.
Newspapers
Newspapers may be either primary or secondary. Most articles in newspapers are secondary, but reporters may be considered as witnesses to an event. Any topic on the media coverage of an event or phenomenon would treat newspapers as a primary source.
| Discipline | Primary Source | Secondary Source |
|---|---|---|
| Art | Sketch Book | Conference proceedings on French Impressionism |
| History | Emancipation Proclamation (1863) | Book on the anti-slavery struggle |
| Journalism | Interview | Biography of publisher Katherine Meyer Graham |
| Law | Legislative Hearing | Law review article on anti-terrorism legislation |
| Literature | Novel | Literary criticism on The Name of the Rose |
| Music | Score of an opera | Biography of composer Georges Bizet |
| Political Science | Public Opinion Poll | Newspaper article on campaign finance reform |
| Rhetoric | Speech | Editorial comment on Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech |
| Sociology | Voter Registry | Ph.D. dissertation on Hispanic voting patterns |