What is a primary source?
Answer
A primary source is an original document, material, or first-hand account of an event.
Ex:
- Diaries
- Letters
- Autobiographies
- Eye-witness testimonies
- Birth certificates
- Interviews
- Government documents
- Statistical data
- Creative artworks which document an event
A secondary source is an analysis or restatement of the primary source.
Ex:
- Journal articles that comment on research
- Textbooks
- Dictionaries & encyclopedias
- Books that interpret
- Biographies
- Criticisms of literature, art, music, etc.
Need help finding primary or secondary sources? Schedule an appointment with a librarian.
- Main Campus Library | 903-463-8637
- South Campus Library | 903-415-2660
- GC eLibrary | library@grayson.edu
tags: paper