When evaluating the quality of the information you are using, it is useful to identify if you are using a Primary, Secondary, or Tertiary source. By doing so, you will be able recognize if the author is reporting on his/her own first hand experiences or relying on the views of others.
| Source Type |
Examples |
Primary
A primary source is a first person account by someone who experienced or witnessed an event. This original document has not been previously published or interpreted by anyone else. |
- First person account of an event
- First publication of a scientific study
- Speech or lecture
- Original artwork
- Handwritten manuscript
- Letters between two people
- A diary
- Historical documents, e.g. Bill of Rights
|
Secondary
A secondary source is one step removed from the primary original source. The author is reexamining, interpreting and forming conclusions based on the information that is conveyed in the primary source. |
- Newspaper reporting on a scientific study
- Review of a music CD or art show
- Biography
|
Tertiary
A tertiary source is further removed from primary source. It leads the researcher to a secondary source, rather than to the primary source. |
- Bibliography
- Index to articles
- Library catalog
|
