Primary source: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 16:00, 25 July 2025

Revision as of 01:21, 10 August 2025

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===Other fields===

In scholarly writing, the objective of classifying sources is to determine the independence and reliability of sources.<ref name=Kragh/> Though the terms ''primary source'' and ''secondary source'' originatedhave inoften [[historiography]]{{Citationbeen needed|date=Augustused 2008}}when asdiscussing aideas wayand tomatters tracerelated theto history[[historiography]], ofit historicalcan ideas,also they have beenbe applied to many other fields. For example, these ideas may be used to trace the history of scientific theories, literary elements, and other information that is passed from one author to another.

{{anchor|Science}}In [[scientific literature]], a primary source, or the "primary literature", is the original publication of a scientist's new data, results, and theories.<ref>Open University, [https://www.open.edu/openlearn/mod/oucontent/view.php?id=64085&section=4.1 4.1 Primary literature], ''Succeeding in postgraduate study'', Session 5, accessed 22 March 2023</ref> In [[political history]], primary sources are documents such as official reports, speeches, pamphlets, posters, or letters by participants, official election returns, and eyewitness accounts. In the [[history of ideas]] or [[intellectual history]], the main primary sources are [[books]], [[essays]], and [[Scientific journal|letters]] written by [[Intellectual|intellectuals]]; these intellectuals may include [[Historian|historians,]] whose books and essays are therefore considered primary sources for the intellectual historian, though they are secondary sources in their own topical fields. In [[religious history]], the primary sources are [[religious texts]] and descriptions of religious [[ceremonies]] and [[rituals]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://researchguides.library.tufts.edu/content.php?pid=60919&sid=447878|title=Primary Sources – Religion|website=Research Guides at Tufts University|date=26 August 2014|access-date=15 January 2014}}</ref>

A study of [[cultural history]] could include fictional sources such as [[novels]] or [[Play (theatre)|plays]]. In a broader sense primary sources also include [[Artifact (archaeology)|artifacts]] like photographs[[photograph]]s, newsreels[[newsreel]]s, coins[[coin]]s, paintings[[painting]]s or buildings[[building]]s created at the time. Historians may also take [[Artifact (archaeology)|archaeological artifacts]] and oral reports and interviews into consideration. Written sources may be divided into three types:<ref>{{Cite book | last1 = Howell | first1 = Martha C. | last2 = Prevenier | first2 = Walter. | title = From reliable sources: an introduction to historical method | year = 2001 | publisher = Cornell University Press | ___location = Ithaca, N.Y. | isbn = 0-8014-8560-6 | pages =20–22}}</ref>

* '''[[Narrative]] sources''' or '''literary sources''' tell a story or message. They are not limited to fictional sources (which can be sources of information for contemporary attitudes) but include [[diary|diaries]], films, biographies, leading philosophical works, and [[scientific works]].

* '''Diplomatic sources''' include [[charter]]s and other legal documents which usually follow a set format.

* '''Social documents''' are records created by organizations, such as registers of births and tax records.

In historiography, when the study of history is subject to historical scrutiny, a secondary source becomes a primary source. For a biography of a historian, that historian's publications would be primary sources. [[Documentary filmsfilm]]s can be considered a secondary source or primary source, depending on how much the filmmaker modifies the original sources.<ref>{{Cite journal|author-link1=Thomas Cripps (film historian) |last=Cripps |first=Thomas |year=1995 |title=Historical Truth: An Interview with Ken Burns |journal=American Historical Review |volume=100 |issue=3 |pages=741–764 |doi=10.2307/2168603 |jstor= 2168603|publisher=The American Historical Review, Vol. 100, No. 3}}</ref>

The [[Lafayette College]] Library provides a synopsis of primary sources in several areas of study:<ref>[http://library.lafayette.edu/help/primary/definitions "Primary Sources: what are they?"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090208191118/http://library.lafayette.edu/help/primary/definitions |date=8 February 2009 }}. Lafayette College Library.</ref>

<blockquote>The definition of a primary source varies depending upon the academic discipline and the context in which it is used.

* In the [[humanities]], a primary source could be defined as something that was created either during the time period being studied or afterward by individuals reflecting on their involvement in the events of that time.

* In the [[social science]]s, the definition of a primary source would be expanded to include [[Numerical analysis|numerical data]] that has been gathered to analyze relationships between people, events, and their environment.

* In the [[natural science]]s, a primary source could be defined as a report of original findings or ideas. These sources often appear in the form of research articles with sections on methods and results.</blockquote>