Primary Vs. Secondary Sources

Primary Sources

An Original work

(This source requires you to interpret the work)

Diaries
Interviews
Original Documents (e.g. birth certificate or an official college transcript)
Patents
Photographs
Proceedings
Surveys
Speeches

Secondary Sources

Reference to an original work

(This is a source where another person interprets the work for you)

Biographies
Commentaries
Dissertations
Indexes, Abstracts, Bibliographies (used to locate primary & secondary sources)
Journal Articles*
Monographs (books)*

*Tip": Dissertations, journal articles and books may be primary sources if the work is original.

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