Primary source
Original source created at the time under study.
A primary source, also called an original source, is an artifact, document, diary, manuscript, autobiography, recording, or any other source of information created at the time under study. It serves as an original source of information about a topic and is distinguished from secondary sources, which interpret, analyze, or comment on primary sources. The classification of a source as primary or secondary is relative and depends on the historical context and the purpose of the study.
- Field
- History, library science, journalism, and other academic disciplines
- Known for
- Providing original, direct evidence about a topic under study
- Key distinction
- Relative to secondary sources; depends on context and use
- Examples
- Artifacts, documents, diaries, manuscripts, autobiographies, recordings, eyewitness accounts, official reports, speeches, letters, photographs, coins, paintings, buildings
Lore & Background
In scholarly writing, classifying sources as primary or secondary helps determine their independence and reliability. Primary sources are considered to have the most direct connection to the past and are often preferred in historical writing; if none are available, secondary sources should be used only with great caution. The distinction is subjective and contextual, so precise definitions are difficult to make. For example, a memoir is a primary source when used to study its author's life but becomes a secondary source if used to investigate broader cultural or social conditions.
Reader's Guide
Primary sources are foundational to history as an academic discipline, as they provide the raw material from which historians derive their interpretations. Their significance lies in their direct connection to the events or periods being studied, offering evidence that secondary sources interpret or analyze. The classification of a source as primary or secondary is not fixed; it can change depending on the research question and the present state of knowledge. For instance, if a document refers to a previously undiscovered letter, it may be considered primary until the letter is found, at which point it may become secondary. In fields such as the natural sciences, primary sources are original publications of new data and theories, while in the social sciences, they include numerical data gathered to analyze relationships. The use of primary sources is critical for ensuring the reliability and independence of historical scholarship, and they are often preserved in archives, libraries, museums, and digital collections worldwide.
Did You Know?
- A book review becomes a primary source when it contains the opinion of the reviewer about the book rather than a summary.
- In some cases, a source is identified as primary because no copy of the original source material exists, or it is the oldest extant source for the information cited.
- In the humanities, a primary source can be created after the time period studied by individuals reflecting on their involvement in the events.
- In scientific literature, a primary source is the original publication of a scientist's new data, results, and theories.
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