Research materials can be classified according to two main groups: primary sources and secondary sources. (Each type of source has advantages and limitations.) :
A primary source is a firsthand account, original material that has not been interpreted or edited by any other writers.
Good examples of primary sources are letters, speeches, oral histories, and interviews
Primary sources are valuable because they include details and feelings that only an eyewitness can provide.
Their drawback is that they are usually highly subjective and limited to one person’s viewpoint. Research materials can be classified according to two main groups: primary sources and secondary sources. (Each type of source has advantages and limitations.)
Secondary Sources :
A secondary source contains information (often researched in primary sources) that is retold, summarized, or interpreted by a writer.
A secondary source is written by someone who did not participate in the events that are written about, and it is often written after the events occurred.
The history textbooks you use in school are good examples of secondary sources.
Other common secondary sources are encyclopedia articles and biographies. Secondary Sources
Slide 4:
Secondary sources are generally more objective and cover a broader range of information than primary sources.
Primary Sources Secondary Sources
Letters Encyclopedia articles
Speeches Reference books
Oral histories Biographies
Interviews Textbooks
Diaries Most newspaper articles
Autobiographies Most magazine articles
Editorials History books
Eyewitness news reports Literary criticism
Literary works
Public documents