When conducting research, you may hear about primary sources and secondary sources. What's the difference?
A primary source is one that is written during the time period being studied. It reflects the thoughts, mores, customs, or current events of that time. Primary sources provide a window to the past and are invaluable to historical research. Examples of primary sources include diaries, speeches, letters, official records, most academic research, and works of fiction (novels, poetry, short stories, etc.)
A secondary source is one that analyzes or interprets primary sources. It may be written as a summary of an event that took place a few days prior, as in the case of a newspaper or magazine article, or it may be written many years later. Secondary sources are at least one step removed from the event they discuss and may interpret many different sources. Some examples of secondary sources are newspaper and magazine articles, reviews, encyclopedias, biographies, and scientific meta-analyses.
Primary sources can be used to support your argument or provide context for the period you are writing about. Just like any other source, it is important to properly cite a primary source if you quote from it, make reference to it, or if it helped shape your argument.
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