Primary Sources vs Secondary Sources
Primary Sources are immediate, first-hand accounts of a topic, from people who had a direct connection with it. Primary sources can include:
- Texts of laws and other original documents.
- Newspaper reports, by reporters who witnessed an event or who quote people who did.
- Speeches, diaries, letters and interviews - what the people involved said or wrote.
- Original research.
- Datasets, survey data, such as census or economic statistics.
- Photographs, video, or audio that capture an event.
- Artwork, paintings etc.
Secondary Sources are one step removed from primary sources, though they often quote or otherwise use primary sources. They can cover the same topic, but add a layer of interpretation and analysis. Secondary sources can include:
- Most books about a topic.
- Analysis or interpretation of data.
- Scholarly or other articles about a topic, especially by people not directly involved.
- Documentaries (though they often include photos or video portions that can be considered primary sources).
When is a Primary Source a Secondary Source?
Whether something is a primary or secondary source often depends upon the topic and its use.
A biology textbook would be considered a secondary source if in the field of biology, since it describes and interprets the science but makes no original contribution to it.
On the other hand, if the topic is science education and the history of textbooks, textbooks could be used a primary sources to look at how they have changed over time.
Examples of Primary and Secondary Sources
Primary Sources
- Artwork
- Diary
- Interview
- Letters
- Performance
- Poem
- Treaty
Secondary Sources
- Book about a specific subject
- Biography
- Dissertation
- Review of play
- Treatise on a particular genre of poetry
- Essay on a treaty
*Content borrowed from The University of Massachusetts Boston Healy Library's Primary Sources: A Research Guide.
What is a background source?
Background sources are written for a general audience and are intended to give an overview of a topic, fill gaps in the reader’s knowledge, and provide context for deeper understanding. Examples include Wikipedia, introductory textbooks, and reference works such as encyclopedias, dictionaries, and handbooks.
They can be a useful place to start your research and assist in selecting a topic for a research project, locating basic information and key facts, defining important words and concepts, and getting suggestions for additional sources to consult.
Typical characteristics of background sources:
- intended to be informative
- provide context, background, or summary information
- present shared information and established facts; information is uncontested
- offer suggestions for additional sources of information on the topic
Reference Books and Encyclopedias
Berkshire Encyclopedia of China by ISBN: 9780977015948Publication Date: 2008-01-01This encyclopedia is meant for any person - student, teacher, businessperson, government official, tourist - who seeks an understanding of China, in the past, present, and future.
Chinese History by ISBN: 9780674088467Publication Date: 2015-09-07Wilkinson's manual of Chinese history introduces students to different types of transmitted, excavated, and artefactual sources from prehistory to the twenty-first century. It also examines the context in which the sources were produced, preserved, and received, the problems of research and interpretation associated with them, and the best, most up-to-date secondary works.
Historical Dictionary of the People's Republic of China by ISBN: 9781442264687Publication Date: 2016-08-03This third edition of Historical Dictionary of the People's Republic of China contains a chronology, an introduction, appendixes, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 700 cross-referenced entries on important personalities, politics, economy, foreign relations, religion, and culture. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about China.
What is a Scholarly Article?
Both scholarly and peer-reviewed articles are written by experts in academic or professional fields. Scholarly articles are published in journals for specific academic disciplines. Many scholarly journals are also peer-reviewed.
Peer-reviewed articles are submitted to reviewers who are experts in the field. Because the reviewers specialize in the same scholarly area as the author, they are considered the author’s peers (hence “peer review”).
Both scholarly and peer-reviewed articles are excellent places to find what has been studied or researched on a topic, as well as find references to additional relevant sources of information.
Scholarly Articles
- Bibliography of Asian Studies (1971 to date) This link opens in a new window
Indexes English language articles on all aspects of East, Southeast, and South Asian culture.
- JSTOR This link opens in a new windowScholarly journal archive for the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences; current issues (usually the last 2-5 years) are not digitized by JSTOR and may be obtained elsewhere.
- Academic Search Complete This link opens in a new window
Multidisciplinary - good for nearly all subjects. Scholarly and trade journals, popular magazines, newspapers, conference proceedings, book reviews, and more.
- Oxford Bibliographies This link opens in a new window
Authoritative guide to reliable peer-reviewed resources and scholarship in African Studies, Buddhism, Latin American Studies, Linguistics, Medieval Studies, and Political Science. Bibliographies are selectively curated and annotated by expert academics and offer high-level overviews that provide non-experts with a point of entry into unfamiliar areas of study.
Chinese Language Databases
- Duxiu This link opens in a new windowContent-based database searching full-text Chinese books, articles, theses, web pages, newspapers. Results are readable on-line, or sendable by email to oneself.
- National Social Sciences Database This link opens in a new window
Provides current access to the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) over 800+ journal titles. Site navigation in Chinese; full text search and download both in English and Chinese.