Understanding Primary and Secondary Sources

What is a primary source?

• A biography

• An original work or first-hand account

• A work that interprets another work

• A textbook

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

• A letter

• A biography

• A photograph

• A diary

Why might a newspaper article be considered a primary source?

• It is published in a newspaper

• It includes interviews

• It contains eyewitness accounts

• It is always a primary source

What should you do if you are unsure whether a source is primary or secondary?

• Consider it a primary source

• Guess based on the type of publication

• Ask your instructor or a librarian

• Assume it is a secondary source

How can a secondary source also be a primary source?

• If it is a critical analysis

• If it is a textbook

• If it includes original interviews

• If it is published in a magazine