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How do I recognize primary, secondary, and tertiary sources?
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Ask a Librarian @
Betty Sue Jessup Library
501 College Drive
Charlottesville, VA 22902
434.961.5309
reference@pvcc.edu
Betty Sue Jessup Library
501 College Drive
Charlottesville, VA 22902
434.961.5309
reference@pvcc.edu
What Are Primary Sources?
Primary sources are original materials created or produced during the time under study. These raw materials have not been interpreted, filtered, or evaluated. Because of this, primary sources enable the reader to make their own interpretations about the materials, without having to rely on what has already been written on the topic.
Examples of primary sources include
- scientific journal articles reporting experimental research results
- proceedings of meetings, conferences, symposia
- technical reports
- patents
- data sets (such as census statistics)
- works of literature (novels, poems, etc.)
- diaries
- autobiographies
- interviews
- surveys
- letters and correspondence
- speeches
- government documents
- photographs and works of art (paintings, sculptures, etc.)
- legal documents (birth certificates, trial transcripts, etc.)
- films, documentaries, plays
NOTE: Many things can become primary sources depending on how they are used. For example, a blog that analyzes a movie is a secondary source, but if you are writing an essay about how blogs analyze movies, the blog becomes a primary source.
Infographic: Primary Sources Across the Disciplines
ResearchMinute Video: Primary Sources
Watch this video to learn about primary sources.
Need Help?
- For help finding resources, use the information in the library's playbooks. Librarians can help you understand the playbooks, but they cannot conduct research for you.
- For help with formatting citations, please consult the library's citation styles playbooks. Please note the librarians cannot help you with citation generators or with any citation guide other than the library's.
- For help with composition issues (such as spelling, grammar, flow, etc.), please visit the Writing Center.
- If you have questions, please email the librarians at reference@pvcc.edu, visit the library and speak with a librarian, or connect via chat. If your section has an embedded librarian, contact that specific librarian.