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 to recognize if the author is reporting on his/her own first-hand experiences, or relying on the views of others.
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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. Primary sources are documents, artifacts, or data created during the specific time period being studied. Oftentimes, documents from the first publication cycle – newspaper articles, letters, or research notes – are considered primary sources. "A primary source is raw evidence that has not yet been interpreted." -- Meghan Courtney, Outreach Archivist, Walter P. Reuther Library
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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 the primary source. It leads the researcher to a secondary source, rather than to the primary source. |
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