Primary and Secondary Sources - Vocabulary Flashcards

1st Lesson

Primary Source

An original object or document that provides first-hand information about a time period, created by participants or observers during that period.

Secondary Source

A work that analyzes, interprets, or summarizes primary sources, created after the fact.

Diaries/Journals

Personal day-by-day records kept during the time period; a primary source (e.g., Anne Frank’s diary).

Autobiographies/Memoirs

A written account of a person’s own life; a primary source.

Speeches

Public addresses by leaders; considered primary sources (e.g., Gettysburg Address, I Have a Dream).

Historical Documents

Founding documents or official records (e.g., Declaration of Independence, Constitution, birth certificates, court records); primary sources.

Published First-Hand Accounts

Eyewitness narratives written or published by those who directly experienced events; primary sources (including accompanying footage).

Sound Recordings and Interviews

Audio recordings and interviews from events or periods; primary sources (e.g., Roosevelt radio addresses, Obama interviews).

Photographs and Videos

Visual records from a time period; primary sources.

Letters/Correspondence

Personal letters between individuals; primary source.

Rizal’s Diary/Poems/Letters

Dr. Jose Rizal’s personal writings (diary, poems, letters) used as primary sources about his life and era.

Laguna Copperplate Inscription

Ancient inscription from the Philippines written in Kawi script, using multiple languages (Sanskrit, Old Javanese, Old Malay); a primary source.

Kawi Script

The writing system developed in Java used in the Laguna Copperplate Inscription.

Pigafetta’s Journal

The journal kept by Antonio Pigafetta during Magellan’s voyage; a primary source.

Biography

A secondary source that tells about another person’s life, written after the fact.

Almanacs, Encyclopedias, History Books

Secondary sources that compile and summarize information after events; include textbooks and reference works.

Newspaper Article

An article in a newspaper; can be a primary source if produced at the time of an event, or a secondary source if it reports later.

Magazine Article

An article in a magazine; can be primary or secondary depending on timing and context.

Web Page

An online page that can be a primary or secondary source depending on when and how it was produced; reliability varies.

Social Media Post

An online post that can be a primary source if created contemporaneously, or a secondary source if describing past events.

Information Sources: Primary or Secondary

Some sources can be either primary or secondary depending on timing and how they’re used (e.g., newspapers, magazines, web pages, social media).

Primary Source Characteristics

Provide a window into the past with unfiltered records of thought and achievement, but may be incomplete and lack context; consider bias, purpose, and point of view.

Secondary Source Characteristics

Offer analysis, synthesis, interpretation, or evaluation; useful for background and multiple perspectives; reliability can vary and they are not first-hand.

Bias, Purpose, and Point of View

Factors to consider when evaluating sources: the creator’s bias, the purpose of the source, and the perspective from which it is written.