Primary Sources vs. Secondary Sources
Secondary Sources
While primary sources originate from the time period in question, secondary sources are one step further removed from the historical event. Secondary sources interpret or analyze one or more primary sources or other secondary sources. They will include a Works Cited or References page where they cite the other sources that they have used in their research. In other words, secondary sources look at the past through the lenses of other sources, as opposed to primary sources which are expressions of first-hand experiences or thoughts. Secondary sources synthesize information and ideas from multiple authors, sources, and time periods to reveal something new, much like how looking at something through a film lens filter changes the colors you can see. Layering these lenses adds depth and nuance to a research topic in fresh and exciting ways!
Examples:
Primary Source |
Secondary Source |
| The Diary of Anne Frank | Biography on Anne Frank |
| Newspaper report on the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire | An article analyzing the development of workers' rights and safety movements in the US in the 20th century |
| Black Panther Party promotional video from a 1969 newsreel | Book on the history of the Black Panther Party's community organized social service programs. |
|
Photograph of an African-American woman professional working in a Baltimore shipyard during WWII
|
Article comparatively analyzing wage gains for women of different races in the 20th century and how the labor market changed after WWII
|
Image 3 Caption: "filters for black and white film" by aslakr is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Image 4 Caption: Joseph, Emmanuel Francis. One of the 1,000 skilled Negro women working at the Kaiser shipyards, at Richmond, California, who helped build the SS George Washington Carver, launched on May 7, 1943. Miss Odie Mae Embry mans the emergency switch for the protection of track workers as the huge crane swings 100 feet above. Between 1943-1945, Photograph, Library of Congress, Washington D.C., https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2017854465. Accessed 11 May 2023.