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DSGN 106-1-13 (DTC Gentry & Zugnoni)

Primary 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.

Examples of Primary Sources

  • Artwork
  • Diary
  • Interview
  • Letters
  • Performance
  • Poem
  • Treaty

Secondary Sources

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).

Examples of Secondary Sources

  • Article critiquing the piece of art
  • Book about a specific subject
  • Biography
  • Dissertation
  • Review of play
  • Treatise on a particular genre of poetry
  • Essay on a treaty