The difference between primary and secondary sources is the degree to which the author is removed from the event being described. For example, is the author reporting events first hand (or is first to record these immediately following an event), or is the author writing about the experiences and opinions of others or second hand.
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PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SOURCES |
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Primary Source |
Secondary Sources |
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Novel, poem |
Literary criticism |
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Diary, autobiography |
Biography |
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Letters, historical documents, oral testimony |
Historical Commentary |
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Newspaper report |
Editorial |
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Raw data from questionnaires |
Social Science Article |
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Observation/experiment |
Scientific article |
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Television show/film |
Review |
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Interview |
Case study |
