What is a Primary Source?
A primary source is a document or physical object which was written or created during the time under study. These sources were present during an experience or time period and offer an inside view of a particular event.
Some types of primary sources include:
Examples of primary sources include:
Magna Carta
Films of Leni Riefenstahl
A journal article reporting NEW research or findings
Letters of Heloise and Abelard
Newspaper articles published at the time
Anne Frank's Diary of a Young Girl
What is a Secondary Source?
A secondary source interprets and analyzes primary sources. These sources are one or more steps removed from the event. Secondary sources may have pictures, quotes or graphics of primary sources in them.
Some types of secondary sources include:
Textbooks, magazine and journal articles, histories, criticisms, commentaries
Examples of secondary sources include:
A journal/magazine article which interprets or reviews previous findings
A history textbook
A book about the economic aspects of the Silk Road