People with a hidden agenda may pretend to be primary sources, so it’s best to evaluate a source’s authenticity whenever you can. You always want to make sure your primary source is actually a firsthand account, not just posturing as one. If you’re looking for the original hard copy of a source, such as artwork or artifacts, head to the museum! If you can’t reach the museum-perhaps it’s in another country-check its website, which usually has photographs of its popular exhibits. National archives (e.g., US National Archives, UK National Archives ).There are also online resources where you can view primary sources. Newspaper and magazine articles written around the time of the incident count as primary sources if they have direct accounts of the event if not, the article might still mention other primary sources. If you haven’t begun your research yet, journalistic articles are a good place to start. Often, you’ll be able to track down these primary sources in a library or online database. Secondary sources should list their references and source materials, if not in the actual text then in footnote citations or the bibliography.
Ironically, one of the best places to find primary sources is secondary sources. Journalistic articles from the time of an event (newspapers, magazines, etc.)įinding primary sources can be a challenge since they’re not as common as other sources.Legal documents (birth certificates, contracts, etc.).Live recordings of speeches, music, and other performances.Artworks (paintings, poems, sculptures, etc.).So what are primary sources exactly? Here’s a quick list of some common types of primary sources: At the same time, primary sources are usually harder to find (because there are fewer of them), so secondary sources help fill in the gaps and sometimes provide new information through deduction and context. For example, the court records of the Salem witch trials would be a primary source, whereas a book about how the Salem witch trials affected New England culture would be a secondary source.īoth primary and secondary sources are important for research, but primary sources tend to be more reliable because of their direct connection. Secondary sources often analyze and interpret primary sources to get a better understanding of the topic. In research, primary sources make excellent references because they’re the next best thing to actually being there yourself.īy contrast, secondary sources are any reference materials that are not directly related to the event. Primary sources are any reference materials directly related to a historical event, such as an eyewitness account, a photograph or video of the incident, or a physical artifact.
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