Information Sources: Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary

What is a primary source?

• a) A textbook summarizing historical events.

• b) An original research article that presents data without interpretation.

• c) An encyclopedia explaining historical events

• d) A critique of a historical event published years later.

Which of the following is a characteristic of secondary sources?

• a) They provide firsthand testimony or direct evidence of an event.

• b) They are based on the interpretation or analysis of primary sources.

• c) They are created at the time of the event, like letters or diaries.

• d) They are related to events that have not yet occurred.

Which of these examples is a tertiary source?

• a) A biography written by a historian.

• b) A newspaper reporting on a recent event.

• c) A book index or an encyclopedia.

• d) A personal letter written by a historical figure.

What type of source is a personal diary written by a soldier during World War II?

• a) Secondary

• b) Primary

• c) Tertiary

• d) None of the above

Which of the following is an example of a secondary source?

• a) An original interview with a witness to an important event.

• b) An academic article that analyzes and discusses a topic based on multiple primary sources.

• c) A painting that represents a historical event.

• d) A photograph taken during a relevant event.

A tertiary source is characterized by:

• a) Being a compilation or summary of information from primary and secondary sources.

• b) Being the first original evidence of an event or phenomenon.

• c) Being created by people who were directly involved in the event.

• d) Being a detailed analysis of a specific topic.

Which of the following sources would be most useful for studying how an historical event was interpreted in different times?

• a) Primary source

• b) Secondary source

• c) Tertiary source

• d) None of the above

Which of the following statements is true about tertiary sources?

• a) They are always based on the direct interpretation of events.

• b) They are based on a single primary source.

• c) They are used for in-depth analysis of a topic.

• d) They are used to get a general overview of a topic or event.

A documentary that uses interviews and historical footage is a:

• a) Secondary source

• b) Tertiary source

• c) Primary source

• d) None of the above

A set of statistics compiled by a government organization about unemployment would be an example of a:

• a) Tertiary source

• b) Primary source

• • c) Secondary source

• d) None of the above