Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Sources
Information can also be categorized into three types: Primary, secondary, and tertiary. The tables below define each type and provides characteristics and examples.
Primary Sources
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Definition
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Original documents created by witnesses or recorders of the event being researched
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Characteristics
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First-hand observations, contemporary accounts of events, viewpoints of the time
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Examples
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Interviews, reports, studies, creative works, speeches, news footage, diary entries, autobiographies
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Secondary Sources
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Definition
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Works that analyze, assess, or interpret an historical event, era or phenomenon, generally utilizing primary sources to do so
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Characteristics
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Interpretation of information, usually written well after the event, offer reviews or critiques
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Examples
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Journal articles, editorial articles, literary criticism, book reviews, biographies, textbooks
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Tertiary Sources
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Definition
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Sources that identify and locate primary and secondary sources
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Characteristics
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Reference works, collections or lists of primary and secondary sources, finding tools for sources
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Examples
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Indexes and abstracts, bibliographies, library databases and catalogs
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