Answered By: Shanna Pearson
Last Updated: Oct 27, 2023     Views: 395

A primary source is a document or object that allows you to extract information directly from an original source; essentially first-hand information. Whether or not something is a primary source depends on your research question.

For example:

Research question:
"What were Edgar Allan Poe's views on love"

Primary sources:

  • His original poems
  • Other works he created himself such as diaries, interviews, letters, and speeches 

To know for sure what Poe's views are, we need to get as close to the original source (himself) as possible. His own writings, then, are primary sources.

What's not a primary source?

Again, it depends on your original research question.

If we're using the above research question about Poe, then books, biographies, and articles about Edgar Allan Poe written by anyone other than himself would be considered secondary sources because the information would be entirely second-hand.

A good way to think of it is: If your information has been processed (analyzed, interpreted, summarized) by another researcher then it's a secondary source. 

And remember, you still need to cite your primary sources!

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