When evaluating the quality of the information you are using, it is useful to identify if you are using a Primary, Secondary, or Tertiary source. By doing so, you will be able recognize if the author is reporting on his/her own first hand experiences, or relying on the views of others.
| Source Type | Examples |
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Primary A primary source is a first person account by someone who experienced or witnessed an event. This original document has not been previously published or interpreted by anyone else. |
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Secondary A secondary source is one step removed from the primary original source. The author is reexamining, interpreting and forming conclusions based on the information that is conveyed in the primary source. |
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Tertiary A tertiary source is further removed from primary source. It leads the researcher to a secondary source, rather than to the primary source. |
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Here are some examples of Primary and Secondary for comparison
Secondary: N Y Times article using selection of crime statistics from the Department of Justice
Primary: Crime Statistics from the Department of Justice database. (Note the stats below are from 2012 and do not correspond to the figures above)
Video from the folks in the Kimbel Library at Coastal Carolina University explaining the difference between Popular and Scholarly sources.
