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Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Sources
Type of Source |
Examples |
Primary: A firsthand account of an event that has previously been ubpublished |
- A diary
- A scientific study that has not been published before
- Correspondence
- A historic document, e.g. the Magna Carta, Declaration of Indepencence
- Interviews
- Autobiographies
|
Secondary: This is one level removed from the primary. The author is analyzing, summarizing, and/or making conclusions about the content of the primary document. |
- A review of a book, music, film, or art
- Biography
- A newspaper article describing a scientific study
|
Tertiary: This is one level further removed from the primary source. The content of the source refers to secondary rather than primary sources. |
- Almanacs
- Bibliographies and indexes used to locate primary resources
- Chronologies
- Textbooks
- Manuals
|