A primary source is an eyewitness account or the first record of an event or experiment. In the humanities, a primary source was usually written or created during the time period under study. In the sciences, a primary source is recorded during an experiment and published in an original research article.
Secondary sources were written after the event occurred or experiment completed. Secondary sources provide analysis, interpretation, explanation, description and/or evaluation of primary sources. A secondary source in the humanities might be a literary criticism. In the sciences, a secondary source might be a review article which analyzes multiple original research articles.
Here are some examples of each:
Primary Sources:
Secondary Sources:
The Reference section in Joyner Library contains a wide selection of primary source materials in print, including:
Some good online sources for locating primary source materials include:
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