How Do You Find Out If An Article Is Primary Or Secondary?

1. Was the source created by someone directly involved in the events you’re studying (primary), or by another researcher (secondary)?
2. Does the source provide original information (primary), or does it summarize information from other sources (secondary)?

How do you tell if an article is a primary article?

The full database record for an item usually includes an abstract or summary–sometimes prepared by the journal or database , but often written by the author(s) themselves. This will usually give a clear indication of whether the article is a primary study.

How do you identify primary sources?

Published materials can be viewed as primary resources if they come from the time period that is being discussed, and were written or produced by someone with firsthand experience of the event. Often primary sources reflect the individual viewpoint of a participant or observer .

How do you know if it’s a secondary source?

Secondary sources were created by someone who did not experience first-hand or participate in the events or conditions you’re researching. For a historical research project, secondary sources are generally scholarly books and articles. A secondary source interprets and analyzes primary sources .

What is the best way to find primary sources?

1. National Archives. The National Archives is a fantastic resource. ...
2. DocsTeach. Also run by the National Archives, DocsTeach is full of activities for educators. ...
3. Spartacus Educational. ...
4. Fordham University. ...
5. The Avalon Project. ...
6. Life Magazine Photo Archive.

What are some examples of a primary source?

• archives and manuscript material.
• photographs, audio recordings, video recordings, films.
• journals, letters and diaries.
• speeches.
• scrapbooks.
• published books, newspapers and magazine clippings published at the time.
• government publications.
• oral histories.

Is interview primary source or secondary?

Primary sources are materials directly related to a topic by time or participation. These materials include letters, speeches, diaries, newspaper articles from the time, oral history interviews, documents, photographs, artifacts, or anything else that provides firsthand accounts about a person or event.

What is the difference between primary and secondary source?

While primary sources are the original records created by firsthand witnesses of an event, secondary sources are documents, texts, images, and objects about an event created by someone who typically referenced the primary sources for their information. Textbooks are excellent examples of secondary sources.

What is the major difference between primary and secondary sources?

Primary sources can be described as those sources that are closest to the origin of the information. They contain raw information and thus, must be interpreted by researchers. Secondary sources are closely related to primary sources and often interpret them .

Is an article a secondary source?

Secondary sources can include books, journal articles, speeches, reviews, research reports, and more . Generally speaking, secondary sources are written well after the events that are being researched.

How do I find the primary source of an image?

1. Getty Images. Online database of historical images.
2. LIFE Magazine Image Database. Photographs that appeared in LIFE Magazine.
3. New York Public Library Picture Collection Online. ...
4. Perseus Digital Library. ...
5. Prints and Photographs Online Catalog.

Is a survey a primary source?

Original research – results of experiments, interviews, questionnaires, studies, surveys, archaeological digs. Personal works – diaries, identification papers, journals, letters, memoirs and autobiographies (not biographies), speeches, theses (reporting original research)

Which of the following is the best example of a primary source?

Examples of a primary source are: Original documents such as diaries, speeches, manuscripts, letters, interviews, records, eyewitness accounts, autobiographies. Empirical scholarly works such as research articles, clinical reports, case studies, dissertations.

How do you write a primary source?

The basic elements to include in a citation for a published print source are: author of the document , title of the document, title of the book if different from the document, name of editor or author of the book, place of publication, publisher, year, and page numbers.

What is a primary source of evidence?

Primary sources are documents, images or artifacts that provide firsthand testimony or direct evidence concerning an historical topic under research investigation . ... The same document, or other piece of evidence, may be a primary source in one investigation and secondary in another.

What are two examples of a secondary source?

• journal articles that comment on or analyse research.
• textbooks.
• dictionaries and encyclopaedias.
• books that interpret, analyse.
• political commentary.
• biographies.
• dissertations.
• newspaper editorial/opinion pieces.