Psychology Subject Guide: Primary & Secondary Sources

Primary Sources...

• Provide direct or firsthand evidence about an event, object, person or work of art
• Are usually written or created during or close to the event or time period being studied
• Have not been filtered through interpretation or evaluation 
• Are original materials on which other research is based
• Can be written or non-written (e.g. sound recordings, photographs, artifacts)
• Present original thinking, report a discovery, or share new information

Note: Examples of  primary sources may vary depending on the discipline or context.

Secondary Sources...

• Are second-hand accounts written after an event happened
• Include comments on, interpretation of, or discussions about the original material
• Are often based on primary sources

Note: Examples of secondary sources may vary depending on the discipline or context.

Primary Source (journal article):

Secondary Source (magazine article):

Evaluating Information Tutorial