IDENTIFYING PRIMARY AND SECONDARY RESOURCES

Sources of information are often categorized as Primary or Secondary depending upon their originality.
Primary Sources
A Primary Source provides direct or firsthand evidence about an event, object, person,
or work of art. Primary sources provide the original materials on which other research is based
and enable students and other researchers to get as close as possible to what actually happened
during a particular event or time period. Published materials can be viewed as primary resources if
they come from the time period that is being discussed, and were written or produced by someone
with firsthand experience of the event. Often primary sources reflect the individual viewpoint of a
participant or observer. Primary sources can be written or non-written (sound, pictures, artifacts,
etc.). In scientific research, primary sources present original thinking; report on discoveries, or share
new information.
Examples of primary sources:
 Autobiographies and memoirs
 Diaries, personal letters, and correspondence
 Interviews, surveys, and fieldwork
 Internet communications on email, blogs, listservs, and newsgroups
 Photographs, drawings, and posters
 Works of art and literature
 Books, magazine and newspaper articles and ads published at the time
 Public opinion polls
 Speeches and oral histories
 Original documents (birth certificates, property deeds, trial transcripts)
 Research data, such as census statistics
 Official and unofficial records of organizations and government agencies
 Artifacts of all kinds, such as tools, coins, clothing, furniture, etc.
 Audio recordings, DVDs, and video recordings
 Government documents (reports, bills, proclamations, hearings, etc.)
 Patents
 Technical reports
 Scientific journal articles reporting experimental research results
Secondary Sources
Secondary sources describe, discuss, interpret, comment upon, analyze, evaluate,
summarize, and process primary sources. A secondary source is generally one or more steps
removed from the event or time period and are written or produced after the fact with the benefit of
hindsight. Secondary sources often lack the freshness and immediacy of the original material. On
occasion, secondary sources will collect, organize, and repackage primary source information to
increase usability and speed of delivery, such as an online encyclopedia. Like primary sources,
secondary materials can be written or non-written (sound, pictures, movies, etc.)

Examples of secondary sources:

 Bibliographies
 Biographical works
 Reference books, including dictionaries, encyclopedias, and atlases
 Articles from magazines, journals, and newspapers after the event
 Literature reviews and review articles (e.g., movie, reviews, book reviews)
 History books and other popular or scholarly books
 Works of criticism and interpretation
 Commentaries and treatises
 Textbooks
 Indexes and abstracts
Practice Exercise
Exercise 1- Direction: Determine whether the following are PRIMARY or SECONDARY sources.
__________1.A biography about Dr. Jose P. Rizal
__________2.The Declaration of Philippine Independence
__________3.A painting of the Philippine Flag made in 1750
__________4.Your high school English Expressways textbook
__________5.A map of the Philippines drawn by Pedro Murillo Velarde
__________6.The “Death Blanket” of Banton, Romblon in the Philippines
__________7.The story your grandfather tells you about his experience during the war.
__________8.I read a book about the Tribes of the Philippines. I enjoyed about the people very
much. I made a report. My report is a ___________.
__________9.The information from the museum tour guide who shows you around the exhibit and
shares facts with you.
__________10.A news reporter was talking about a really big storm in the Philippines that she
experienced last year. The reporter is a primary or secondary source?
Exercise 2 - Direction: Determine whether the following are PRIMARY or SECONDARY sources.
_________1.

Sources: https://quizizz.com/admin/quiz/56a2521c7cbe0bbc4d54cc4a and https://quizizz.com/admin/quiz/56c53d8372239aa103437f46

Identifying Primary and Secondary Sources

 Primary Source: a record made by people who saw or took part in an event
(originates from the past)
 Secondary Source: a record of an event written by someone not there at the time
**Key question: Is this a primary/secondary source?** Ask yourself....
Did/could the author/creator witness/make the artifact?
Yes = primary source
No = secondary source
Directions: Determine whether the following are primary or secondary sources. Circle
the letter indicating whether the item is a "P" primary source or "S" secondary source. For
each one, explain your reasoning in COMPLETE SENTENCES.
(P)PRIMARY - (S)SECONDARY

1. The story your grandfather tells you about his experience during the Korean War. P S
Why: _____________
2. A letter written by George Washington to his mother about the latest developments in
the Revolutionary War. P S
Why: ______
3. The Diary of Anne Frank - the published diary of a teenage girl who experiences the
Holocaust first hand . P S
Why:
4. Your World History textbook or an encyclopedia. P S
Why:
5. Your high school diploma. P S
Why:
6. A photograph of you and your friends at your 8th birthday party. P S
Why:
7. The information from the museum tour guide who shows you around the exhibit and
shares facts with you. P S
Why:
8. A mummy from ancient Egypt. P S
Why: ______
9. Give at least 2 more examples of a primary source.
a.
b. _______
10. Give at least 2 more examples of a secondary source.
a.
b.

PRIMARY/SECONDARY SOURCES
DIRECTION: Answer the following questions below. Write the correct answers on
your paper.
1. What is a primary source?
A. A source used often
B. A source found in an important book like an encyclopedia
C. A source created at the time of an event by an individual who was there
D. A source created after an event has happened
2. What is a secondary source?
A. A source which is someone's second choice to use for research
B. A source created after an event has happened by someone not present at the
event
C. A second piece of Information written about an event
D. A source created at the time of an event
3. Check all below which are primary sources.
______A. Encyclopedia article
______B. Diary
______C. Photograph
______D. Magazine article
______E. Textbook
______F. Museum artifact
______G. Interview
______H. Historical document
______I. Review of a book
4. Which of the following is a secondary source?
A.A textbook chapter on World War II and its famous battles
B. Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech
C. A photograph of an immigrant family arriving at Ellis Island
D. A journal kept by a soldier during the American Revolution
5. When researching, you do not have to say where you got your information from.
A. True B. False