Last Updated: 26 April, 2021 | Provide Feedback
Introduction
Primary sources are the original materials or evidence to be analyzed, evaluated, contextualized, or synthesized in the research process. Secondary Sources analyze, evaluate, contextualize, or synthesize evidence. They often give secondhand accounts based on engagement with primary sources. This chart offers distinctions by discipline:
|
Discipline |
Example Fields |
Primary Source Examples |
Secondary Source Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Arts |
Visual Arts, Performing Arts |
Sketchbooks, scripts, plays, sculptures, music |
Critical reviews in journal articles, publications about the authors/artists and their works |
|
Humanities |
Philosophy, History, Literature, Languages |
Speeches, diaries, narratives, artifacts, interviews, short stories, original research |
Reviews of books, literary criticisms, topical monographs, journal articles, annotated bibliographies, documentaries |
|
Social Sciences |
Business, Psychology, Political Science, Education, Economics |
Studies, lesson plans, case reports, surveys, market research and testing, statistical data, published results of clinical trials |
Publications about the significance of research or experiments, reviews of results |
|
Natural Sciences and Applied Sciences |
Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Engineering, Medicine, Agriculture, Computer Science |
Published results of experiments, observations, discoveries, technical reports, models, schematic drawings, specimens, designs |
Publications about the significance of research or experiments, reviews of results |
It is important to note that the distinction between primary and secondary sources is contextual and you may not be able to tell solely based on document type. A document may be considered a primary source in one context and a secondary source in another. For example, a speech about the Declaration of Independence by a notable orator would be a secondary source for a scholar studying the philosophical origins of the document, but a primary source when studying how the Declaration's meaning has changed over time.
Get Help
To learn more about how to find primary and secondary sources in your discipline, browse your subject guide. If you have questions or need more help try Ask a Librarian. Use the button below to download a printable version of this tutorial.
Primary & Secondary Sources by The Teaching & Learning Team is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.