Primary vs Secondary Sources
| Criteria | Use Primary Sources To Help You… | Use Secondary Sources To Help You… |
|---|---|---|
| Understand | Gain a contemporary understanding of a subject | Get background information about or a synopsis of a subject |
| Interpret | Interpret information YOURSELF (Note: some primary sources can be difficult to understand) |
Get help from scholars who might be more specialized in a subject (Note: be aware of possible source bias) |
| Write | Write an essay that requires you to express your original understanding of a subject |
Write an essay that requires you to report on what others have said about a subject (and perhaps defend YOUR informed opinion) |
- Most researchers will benefit from using a combination of primary and secondary sources
- Some materials share features of BOTH primary and secondary sources
-Ex. The Norton Critical Edition of Moby-Dick by Herman Melville contains an original novel (primary sources) and scholarly essays about that novel (secondary sources)
- Some materials could be considered primary OR secondary, depending upon the research focus
-Ex. The article “After 9/11: Goal Disruption, Emotional Support, and Psychological Health in a Lower Exposure Sample,” by MacGeorge et al., a scholarly research study published in 2007-Secondary source for a history paper on the significance of 9/11)-Primary source for a medical paper on post-traumatic stress reactions to acts of terrorism