What is a primary source and how is using one different than using a secondary source?

1. Using Primary Sources

2. What is a primary source?

3. What is a primary source?
• the “raw” data about
which researchers write
directly
• Sources written at the
time of an event or later as
a memoir

4. Other Source Types
• What is a secondary
source?

5. Other Source Types
• Secondary Source:
data that other
researchers have
already compiled
based on one or more
primary sources

6. Other Source Types
• Secondary Source:
data that other
researchers have
already compiled
based on one or more
primary sources
• What is a tertiary
source?

7. Other Source Types
• Secondary Source:
data that other
researchers have
already compiled
based on one or more
primary sources
• Tertiary Source: book
or article based on
secondary sources

9. How using primary sources is different
• No table of contents
• No index
• No abstract
• No highlighted keywords
• Sometimes information about who, what, when,
where, & why is missing/not obvious

10. How using primary sources is different
• No table of contents
• No index
• No abstract
• No highlighted keywords
• Sometimes information about who, what, when,
where, & why is missing/not obvious
• It’s up to you to draw the conclusions.

11. Context is key

12. What is context?
• The circumstances
or environment in
which a primary
source was
produced

13. Determining Context
• First ask, what is
this?
▫ What kind of
document?
▫ What technology
was used to create
this?
▫ What could the
purpose of the
document be?

14. Determining Context
• Who created the artifact?
▫ What, do you deduce,
was the creator’s
purpose?
▫ How does the creator’s
position differ based on
the historical time period
in which he or she lived?
▫ Who else was involved in
the creation of this
artifact?

15. Determining Context
• When and where was
the document created?
▫ What was happening in
history?
▫ What was happening in
the particular context
of this document?
▫ Where was this
document created?
▫ Where was it found?

16. Determining Context
• Why was this document
created?
▫ What was the stake of the
author in creating this?
▫ Who might he or she been
trying to communicate
with?
▫ Who might have been his
or her audience (intended
or not)?