Who Says?
Identifying Types of Sources
There are two kinds of people in the world when it comes to adventures: those who have the adventures and do amazing things, and those who talk about the great things other people have done. Imagine that your grandfather and his brother are these two people. And they like telling the same stories. They both like to tell the story about how your grandfather got lost for two days in a network of caverns when he was nineteen. Which person is going to tell the more reliable story?
In the world of research sources, a PRIMARY SOURCE would be like your grandfather. The source is created by the person who experienced the events—the psychologist who conducted the study, the dancer who dated the mobster and wrote an autobiography, or the person who is being interviewed about his/her experiences. A PRIMARY SOURCE is straight from the source’s mouth.
The SECONDARY SOURCE, then, corresponds with your great uncle, your grandfather’s brother who was not present at the event but knows a lot about it. SECONDARY SOURCES compile, analyze and evaluate information from primary sources to add to the body of work about a topic. Secondary sources are much more abundant than primary sources.
Read the document below to practice assessing whether sources are primary or secondary.
