Primary and Secondary Sources Primary Sources l A

Primary and Secondary Sources

Primary Sources l. A primary source is a document or physical object which was written or created during the time under study. These sources were present during an experience or time period and offer an inside view of a particular event. Some types of primary sources include:

Types of Primary Sources l ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS Diaries l Speeches l Manuscripts l Letters l Interviews l news film footage l Autobiographies l official records l

Types of Primary Sources l CREATIVE WORKS l l l Poetry Drama Novels Music Art Works of Fiction l RELICS OR ARTIFACTS l l Pottery Furniture Clothing buildings

Examples of Primary Sources l l l Diary of Anne Frank - Experiences of a Jewish family during WWII The Constitution of Canada - Canadian History A journal article reporting NEW research or findings Weavings and pottery - Native American history Plato's Republic - Women in Ancient Greece

Secondary Sources l. A secondary source interprets and analyzes primary sources. These sources are one or more steps removed from the event. Secondary sources may have pictures, quotes or graphics of primary sources in them. Some types of seconday sources include:

Types of Secondary Sources l PUBLICATIONS: l l l Textbooks magazine articles Histories Criticisms Commentaries encyclopedias l Articles in scholarly journals

Examples of Secondary Sources l. A journal/magazine article which interprets or reviews previous findings l A history textbook l A book about the effects of WWI

Evaluating Sources l How does the author know these details (names, dates, times)? Was the author present at the event or soon on the scene? l Did they get the information from somebody / something else? l

Evaluating Sources Where does this information come from: personal experience eyewitness accounts reports written by others

Evaluating Sources l Are the author's conclusions based on a single piece of evidence, or have many sources been taken into account (e. g. , diary entries, along with third-party eyewitness accounts, impressions of contemporaries, newspaper accounts)?