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Primary and Secondary
You will often hear humanities researchers and librarians use the terms primary and secondary when referring to different sources of information. Although the definition of these terms varies depending on the context of the research, in general:
Primary Sources are actual records of events that have survived from the past. Examples of primary sources include letters, photographs, diaries, poems, newspaper accounts, and interviews.
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Secondary Sources are accounts of the past created by people who are not first-hand witnesses of the event. Secondary sources offer an analysis or a restatement of primary sources. Examples of secondary sources include: dictionaries, encyclopedias, books and articles that interpret or review research works.
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More examples of primary and secondary sources:
| Primary Source | Secondary Source | |
| Aging | Census data by age and state | Essay on the aging population |
| History | Mein Kampf | Book about the Third Reich |
| Medicine | Study of cancer treatment | Article in Prevention about the study |
| Political Science | Treaty of Versailles | Essay on Native American land rights |
| Psychology | Civilization and Its Discontents |
Biography of Freud |
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