Primary and Secondary Sources

Remember that just because a source is a primary source does not make it reliable!

Examples of primary and secondary sources:

Contemporary Accounts of an event written by the person who witnessed or experienced it. FIRST HAND!

• Original Documents, Unpublished – not about another document or account

• Published works - as long as they are written soon after the fact and not as historical accounts

  • Diaries

  • Letters

  • Memoirs

  • Journals

  • Speeches / quotes

  • Manuscripts

  • Statistical Data

  • Interviews

  • Photographs

  • Audio or video recordings

  • Research reports (natural or social sciences)

  • Original literary or theatrical works

  • Cartoons produced during the time of the event

  • Newspapers

Values of a primary source:

• recaptures the richness of the past through objects, music, photographs,ect.

• Archaeological & oral evidence gives you the history of cultures & can give previously silent perspectives

• If from leader at the time it can be considered as justification for their actions and/or propaganda to gain support

limitations of primary sources:

Look at the origin – who wrote it. What would they gain?

Deliberately false

One-sided (bias) – oral

Immediate response from the time

Tampered with or broken

Most lost through decay & destruction

Inaccurate record