ENC 1102 HC: Primary vs. Secondary Sources

Original document; first hand information on a topic or event; original research or thought.

Examples:

• Original creative works (art, music, poetry, etc.)
• Scholarly research
• Results of scientific experiments
• Results of clinical trials
• First hand account of an event
• Government records (births, census, deaths)

Sources that analyze, evaluate, interpret, describe, or criticize original documents.

Examples:

• Critique of creative work
• Analysis, evaluation of research
• Review of results of the scientific experiments
• Analysis of results of clinical trials