Primary sources are original documents or physical objects usually written, created, or produced during the event or time period. It is first-hand information.
To search for primary sources add one of these words - charters, case studies, correspondence, diary, documentary films, early works, interviews, letters, manuscripts, pamphlets, personal narrative, public opinion, songs and music, speeches, statistics, statues
Secondary sources interprets and analyzes primary sources. It is second-hand information.
| Discipline | Example of Primary Source | Example of Secondary Source |
|---|---|---|
| Art | Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci | Critique of Renaissance painting |
| Business | NASDAQ stock quotes | Analysis of the stock |
| Criminal Justice | Court report | Book of criminal procedure |
| Education | Speech by Secretary of Education | Education textbook |
| History | Interview with a Vietnam War veteran | eBook on the Vietnam War |
| Literature | The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck | Literary criticism on novel |
| Music | 5th Symphony by Ludwig Van Beethoven | Biography on Ludwig Van Beethoven |
| Science | Scientific results of an experiment | Magazine article reporting on the experiment |