HC/SWCD Libraries: What is a Source?: What are Sources?

What are Sources?

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis

Why we use sources?

To show that our writings do not rely on personal opinion
To show how we found our sources and how we formed our own conclusions
To show our ability to use the information in our paper by organizing it in central points, arguments or sections
To allow our reader to follow up references we used so they can learn and further explore more
To allow the reader to evaluate the ideas and information we are presenting
To avoid plagiarism

What are primary sources?

A primary source is a first-hand account of an event or topic. They are the most direct evidence of a time or event because they were created by people or things that were there at the time or event.

What are secondary sources?

A secondary source is anything that describes, interprets, evaluates, or analyzes information from a primary source.

"To determine if something can be used as a primary or secondary source in your research, there are some simple questions you can ask yourself:

Does this source come from someone directly involved in the events I’m studying (primary) or from another researcher (secondary)?
Am I interested in analyzing the source itself (primary) or only using it for background information (secondary)?
Does the source provide original information (primary) or does it comment upon information from other sources (secondary)?"

Source: Scribbr