The document discusses the distinction between primary and secondary sources, emphasizing that the categorization depends on the research question and the source's use. It provides examples related to various topics, such as the consequences for athletes who are racist and changes in public opinion about interracial marriage, illustrating how some sources can be classified as either primary or secondary. Additionally, it addresses the use of secondary sources as primary sources under certain contexts.

1. Primary or Secondary?
Identifying Primary Sources
Santa Barbara City College Luria Library
Ellen Carey
Fall 2016

2. Primary or Secondary?
It depends on factors such as:
•your specific research question
•the way you are using the source
•how long it has been since the source was
published
Remember:
•some books, articles, videos, etc. include both
sections that are primary sources and sections
that are secondary sources

3. Topic: What are the consequences, professionally and
in terms of public opinion, for athletes who are
racist?
Source: A news story about athletes who have been
expelled from the Olympics for racist tweets
Secondary source
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/london/soccer/story/2012-07-30/swiss-
athlete-banned-michel-morganella-olympics/56591966/1

4. Topic: What are the consequences, professionally and
in terms of public opinion, for athletes who are
racist?
Source: The racist tweet for which an athlete was
expelled from the Olympics
Primary source

5. Topic: What are the consequences, professionally and
in terms of public opinion, for athletes who are
racist?
Source: An email from a spectator at the Olympics, to
her friends back home, about how people around
her reacted to athletes getting expelled from the
games for racist tweets
Primary source

6. Topic: What are the consequences, professionally and
in terms of public opinion, for athletes who are
racist?
Source: A Facebook post, by an Olympic spectator’s
friend back home, about what is going on at the
Olympics
Secondary source

7. Your topic: How has public opinion about interracial
marriage changed over time?
Your source: A newspaper article from 2013, about
interracial marriage becoming more mainstream
Secondary source
http://libproxy.sbcc.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.proquest.c
om/docview/1443987176?accountid=28576

8. Your topic: How has public opinion about interracial
marriage changed over time?
Your source: A newspaper article from 1893, about
Southern interracial marriage laws
Primary source
http://dbs.ohiohistory.org/africanam/page1.cfm?I
temID=17772

9. Your topic: How has public opinion about interracial
marriage changed over time?
Your source: An interview with an interracial couple,
the Lovings, about how their families and
communities have responded to them over the past
40 years
Primary source
http://iipdigital.usembassy.gov/st/english/inbrief/2012/06/201206087068.html#axzz27MdEFQDr

10. Your topic: How has public opinion about interracial
marriage changed over time?
Your source: The 2016 feature film about the Lovings
Secondary source
http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR6fWfYlxUq9-d353F4dxxnjh-1Tfmy_86KkCVFqZmQN6x9Cqyn

11. Your topic: To what degree do the images of black
people in the media differ depending on gender and
class?
Your source: An interview with the author of a book
about media stereotypes of African Americans
Secondary source
http://www.soros.org/voices/black-male-image-american-mind

12. Your topic: To what degree do the images of black
people in the media differ depending on gender and
class?
Your sources: Media images
Primary sources
http://www.crownheights.info/index.php?blogid=1&archive=2008-
07&catid=23
http://www.newser.com/tag/3970/2/stereotypes.html

13. Topic: What are the personal and political implications
of black women’s choices about their hair?
Source: A video on YouTube in which a woman
provides tips for dealing with the practical and
emotional aspects of transitioning hair from relaxed
to natural
Primary source
http://youtu.be/nr8GbJNJ2jM

14. Your topic: What are the personal and political
implications of black women’s choices about their
hair?
Your source: A video of a segment called “The Politics
of Black Hair” from Melissa Harris-Perry’s show on
MSNBC
Secondary source….
http://video.msnbc.msn.com/melissa-harris-perry/47755433#47755433
… and Primary source
when the participants are
speaking as experts on
politics and culture when the participants are
speaking about their own
experience as black women

15. More Examples
Primary sources:
evidence of history & culture
Secondary sources:
interpretation of history & culture
Photographs
Movies
Plays
Works of art
Songs
Recipes
Letters
Diaries
Autobiographies
Memoirs
Oral histories
Speeches
Birth/death certificates
Land deeds
Government documents
Live news footage
Interviews (usually)
Scholarly articles
Political analyses
Biographies
Textbooks
Reference books
Literary criticism
Reviews of art/movies/music (usually)
News articles/broadcasts other than
first-person accounts (usually)
Remember: some secondary sources can
be used as primary sources if you are
using them as historical artifacts (for
example, using a scholarly article from
1907 about interracial marriage as an
example of racism among scholars
during the early 20th century)