"Artzy" Art during World War II
Primary
sources are the "materials on a topic upon which subsequent interpretations
or studies are based, anything from firsthand documents such as poems, diaries,
court records, and interviews to research results generated by experiments,
surveys, ethnographies, and so on."*
Primary sources are records of events as they are first described, without any
interpretation or commentary. They are also sets of data, such as census
statistics, which have been tabulated, but not interpreted.
Secondary sources, on the other hand, offer an analysis or a
restatement of primary sources. They often attempt to describe or explain
primary sources. Some secondary sources not only analyze primary sources, but
use them to argue a contention or to persuade the reader to hold a certain
opinion.
Examples of secondary sources include: dictionaries, encyclopedias, textbooks,
and books and articles that interpret or review research works.
Examples of primary and secondary sources:
|
|
Primary
Source |
Secondary
Source |
|
Art |
Original
artwork |
Article
critiquing the piece of art |
|
History |
Slave
diary |
Book
about the Underground Railroad |
|
Literature |
Poem |
Treatise
on a particular genre of poetry |
|
Political
Science |
Treaty |
Essay
on Native American land rights |
|
Theatre |
Videotape
of a performance |
Biography
of a playwright |
*From Hairston, Maxine and John J. Ruszkiewicz. The Scott, Foresman Handbook
for Writers. 4th ed. New York : HarperCollins College Publishers, 1996, pg.
547.
If you have any questions about primary or secondary sources, please contact one
of our Reference/Information Desks, or email Ask-A-Librarian.