Definitions
Primary Research- the original materials, data sets, and statistics on which other research is based. (Health Sciences, Sciences, and Engineering) Definition: University of Minnesota Libraries
Primary Source- the original documents and first-hand evidence written during the time that the historical event was occurring. (History, Humanities, Social Sciences)
Secondary Source- materials (book or article) that provide a summary, discussion, or analysis of the primary sources.
Examples of Primary Sources
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written |
court decisions, diaries/memoirs, eye-witness accounts, government documents, letters, newspapers, pamphlets, statistics, treaties, vital records (birth certificates, naturalization records, marriage licenses, etc.) |
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oral |
interviews, music, sermons, speeches |
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visual |
drawings, films, maps, paintings, photographs, political cartoons, posters |
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artifacts (or relics) |
clothing, furniture, inventions, pottery, sculpture, tools |