Answered By: Gretchen Scronce Last Updated: Mar 04, 2019 Views: 376579
Primary sources are the raw materials of historical research - they are the documents or artifacts closest to the topic of investigation. Often they are created during the time period which is being studied (correspondence, diaries, newspapers, government documents, art) but they can also be produced later by eyewitnesses or participants (memoirs, oral histories). You may find primary sources in their original format (usually in an archive) or reproduced in a variety of ways: books, microfilm, digital, etc. Examples include: |
Secondary sources offer an analysis or a restatement of primary sources. They often attempt to describe or explain primary sources. Some secondary sources not only analyze primary sources, but also use them to argue a contention or persuade the reader to hold a certain opinion. Secondary sources are not evidence, but rather commentary on and discussion of evidence. Examples include: |
The guide linked below provides definitions, general and specific examples of primary and secondary sources in the humanities and the sciences.
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