What is the Difference Between a Primary and a Secondary Source?
I've heard my instructor use the terms, "primary source" and "secondary source." What's the difference?
In general, a primary source is original material that has not been interpreted, condensed, or evaluated by a second party, while a secondary source somehow modifies or interprets that original material. The specific meaning, however, is slightly different in the humanities and in the sciences/social sciences.
A. The Humanities: Arts, Literature and History
Primary Sources
People use original, first-hand accounts as building blocks to create stories or articles. These accounts are called primary sources, because they are the first evidence that something is happening, or being thought, or said. Primary sources are created at the time of an event or very soon after something has happened. These sources are often rare or one-of-a-kind.
All of the following can be primary sources:
· Autobiographies
· Diaries
· Letters
· Photographs
· Art and artifacts
· Maps
· Video and film
· Sound recordings
· Interviews
· Newspapers
· Magazines
· Published eyewitness accounts
· Research articles in scholarly journals
Examples of primary sources:
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn--Novel
The Constitution of the United States--Document of U.S. history
Plato's Republic--Political/philosophical document
Historic Egyptian furniture and pottery
Narratives of the Insurrections, 1675-1690--Documents from Bacon's rebellion
The Autobiography of a Winnebago Indian--Native American History
Secondary Sources
Second-hand, published accounts are called secondary sources. They are called secondary sources because they are created after primary sources, and they often use or discuss primary sources. Secondary sources often give additional opinions on or interpretations of an event or of a primary source.
All of the following can be secondary sources:
· Biographies
· History textbooks
· Published stories in popular magazines
· Movies of historical events
· Art reproductions
· Encyclopedias
Music recordings
Examples of secondary sources
Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn by Barry Marks
The Constitution and What it Means Today by Edward Corwin
Lectures on the Republic of Plato by Richard Nettleship
Treasures of Tutankhamen by Katherine Gilbert
The Story of Bacon's Rebellion by Mary Stannard
The Winnebago Tribe by Paul Radin
B. The Social Sciences and Sciences
1. Primary Sources
Generally, a primary source in these disciplines is one in which a researcher presents a detailed report of the results of a research study or experiment directly to the reader. The title or abstract (summary) of a journal article will ussually help determine whether or not the source is primary.
Example:
Kahlor, L.A. and Morrison, D. (2007). Television viewing and rape myth acceptance among college women. Sex Roles: A Journal of Research, 56, (11), 729-739 .
Abstract
Prior research has shown that people who consume pornographic movies and magazines are more likely to accept rape myths. The results of the present study build on that research to link the acceptance of rape myths to general, daily television use among college women. Furthermore, our data show that college women who watch more television are more likely to believe that rape accusations are false. In addition, the data support a positive relationship between conservative political ideology and rape myth acceptance. However, the data do not support the cultivation hypothesis; that is, television use did not correlate with the overestimation of rape in society. The results suggest the need for additional research focused on the role that general television viewing may play in perpetuating rape-related misperceptions.
2. Secondary Sources
A secondary source in these disciplines is likely to be one whose primary purpose is to list, summarize, and evaluate previous research studies in order to draw a conclusion concerning the current state of knowledge. Such sources are often labeled reviews or overviews.
Example:
Freedman, J.L. (Sep.1984). Effect of television violence on aggressiveness. Psychological Bulletin, 96 (2), 227-246.
Abstract
A review of field studies on the possible relation of exposure to TV violence to subsequent aggressive behaviors indicates that such studies have produced mixed results and that there is little evidence of causality. Correlational research has established a small but significant association between viewing TV violence and aggressiveness, but evidence for a causal relationship is again minimal. There is no substantial evidence for a cumulative effect of TV viewing, nor has it been demonstrated that the effect of TV viewing depends on a crucial period or is delayed. In addition, correlations between viewing violence on TV and aggression do not consistently increase with age. It is concluded that although exposure to and preference for violent programming on TV is correlated with aggressive behavior, there is no evidence that viewing violence in natural settings causes an increase in subsequent aggressiveness
