How Do You Know if a Source Is Primary
Master vs Secondary Sources | Explained with Easy Examples
When you do enquiry, you have to gather information and evidence from a variety of sources.
Primary sources provide raw information and commencement-paw evidence. Examples include interview transcripts, statistical information, and works of art. A primary source gives you direct access to the subject of your research.
Secondary sources provide 2d-hand information and commentary from other researchers. Examples include periodical articles, reviews, and academic books. A secondary source describes, interprets, or synthesizes primary sources.
Primary sources are more apparent as show, merely good research uses both main and secondary sources.
What is a master source?
A master source is anything that gives you direct evidence about the people, events, or phenomena that you are researching. Primary sources will commonly be the main objects of your analysis.
If y'all are researching the past, you cannot directly access information technology yourself, so you lot need primary sources that were produced at the time by participants or witnesses (e.thou. letters, photographs, newspapers).
If y'all are researching something current, your primary sources tin can either exist qualitative or quantitative data that yous collect yourself (e.chiliad. through interviews, surveys, experiments) or sources produced past people directly involved in the topic (e.g. official documents or media texts).
| Research field | Primary source |
|---|---|
| History |
|
| Art and literature |
|
| Communication and social studies |
|
| Law and politics |
|
| Sciences |
|
What is a secondary source?
A secondary source is anything that describes, interprets, evaluates, or analyzes information from primary sources. Common examples include:
- Books, articles and documentaries that synthesize information on a topic
- Synopses and descriptions of artistic works
- Encyclopedias and textbooks that summarize information and ideas
- Reviews and essays that evaluate or interpret something
When you cite a secondary source, information technology'due south usually non to clarify information technology directly. Instead, yous'll probably test its arguments against new evidence or employ its ideas to help formulate your ain.
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Primary and secondary source examples
| Primary source | Secondary source |
|---|---|
| Novel | Commodity analyzing the novel |
| Painting | Exhibition catalog explaining the painting |
| Letters and diaries written by a historical effigy | Biography of the historical figure |
| Essay past a philosopher | Textbook summarizing the philosopher's ideas |
| Photographs of a historical issue | Documentary about the historical result |
| Authorities documents about a new policy | Paper commodity near the new policy |
| Music recordings | Bookish book about the musical style |
| Results of an opinion poll | Blog post interpreting the results of the poll |
| Empirical study | Literature review that cites the report |
Examples of sources that can be primary or secondary
A secondary source can become a primary source depending on your inquiry question. If the person, context, or technique that produced the source is the main focus of your research, information technology becomes a main source.
Documentaries
If yous are researching the causes of World War 2, a contempo documentary about the war is a secondary source. Only if yous are researching the filmmaking techniques used in historical documentaries, the documentary is a primary source.
Reviews and essays
If your newspaper is about the novels of Toni Morrison, a magazine review of ane of her novels is a secondary source. But if your paper is about the critical reception of Toni Morrison's piece of work, the review is a main source.
Paper articles
If your aim is to analyze the regime's economic policy, a newspaper article about a new policy is a secondary source. But if your aim is to analyze media coverage of economic bug, the newspaper article is a primary source.
How to tell if a source is primary or secondary
To decide if something can be used as a principal or secondary source in your inquiry, there are some elementary questions you tin ask yourself:
- Does this source come from someone directly involved in the events I'm studying (primary) or from another researcher (secondary)?
- Am I interested in analyzing the source itself (principal) or only using information technology for background information (secondary)?
- Does the source provide original information (primary) or does it comment upon information from other sources (secondary)?
Primary vs secondary sources: which is meliorate?
Most research uses both primary and secondary sources. They complement each other to help you build a convincing argument. Main sources are more apparent as evidence, but secondary sources show how your piece of work relates to existing research.
What do you utilise master sources for?
Main sources are the foundation of original inquiry. They allow y'all to:
- Make new discoveries
- Provide credible bear witness for your arguments
- Requite administrative information about your topic
If you don't use whatever primary sources, your inquiry may be considered unoriginal or unreliable.
What exercise you lot use secondary sources for?
Secondary sources are good for gaining a full overview of your topic and understanding how other researchers have approached it. They often synthesize a large number of chief sources that would be hard and time-consuming to gather by yourself. They let yous to:
- Proceeds groundwork information on the topic
- Support or contrast your arguments with other researchers' ideas
- Gather information from primary sources that you tin't access directly (e.g. private letters or physical documents located elsewhere)
When you conduct a literature review, you can consult secondary sources to gain a thorough overview of your topic. If y'all want to mention a paper or report that you observe cited in a secondary source, seek out the original source and cite information technology directly.
Remember that all primary and secondary sources must be correctly cited to avoid plagiarism.
Ofttimes asked questions about primary and secondary sources
- How tin can you tell if a source is main or secondary?
-
To decide if a source is chief or secondary, ask yourself:
- Was the source created past someone directly involved in the events y'all're studying (primary), or past some other researcher (secondary)?
- Does the source provide original data (primary), or does it summarize information from other sources (secondary)?
- Are you directly analyzing the source itself (primary), or but using information technology for groundwork information (secondary)?
Some types of source are nearly always primary: works of art and literature, raw statistical data, official documents and records, and personal communications (east.grand. messages, interviews). If you employ i of these in your research, information technology is probably a chief source.
Main sources are often considered the most apparent in terms of providing evidence for your statement, as they requite y'all direct evidence of what y'all are researching. However, it'southward up to you to ensure the information they provide is reliable and accurate.
Ever make certain to properly cite your sources to avoid plagiarism.
- Is a film a primary or secondary source?
-
A fictional movie is usually a primary source. A documentary tin be either primary or secondary depending on the context.
If you lot are directly analyzing some aspect of the pic itself – for example, the cinematography, narrative techniques, or social context – the flick is a primary source.
If you use the picture show for background information or analysis about your topic – for example, to learn about a historical event or a scientific discovery – the movie is a secondary source.
Whether it'south chief or secondary, e'er properly cite the movie in the citation way yous are using. Learn how to create an MLA motion-picture show commendation or an APA movie citation.
- Is a newspaper commodity a principal or secondary source?
-
Manufactures in newspapers and magazines can exist primary or secondary depending on the focus of your inquiry.
In historical studies, erstwhile articles are used as primary sources that give direct bear witness about the fourth dimension period. In social and communication studies, manufactures are used as primary sources to analyze language and social relations (for example, by conducting content analysis or discourse assay).
If y'all are non analyzing the article itself, but only using it for background information or facts about your topic, then the article is a secondary source.
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