WHAT ARE PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SOURCES? - SCIENCE - 2025

The primary and secondary sources are those informational resources composed of written, oral, informal, formal, physical or multimedia data, useful for carrying out an investigation.

Information sources are classified according to the amount of data that the reader can extract from them.

When the information collected is new, it is said that the sources are primary. When information is filtered, summarized, and restructured in a new format, it is said to be secondary.

Although information sources are commonly divided into two types, some people consider that there is a third group of sources known as “tertiary sources”. This group is defined as the digital or physical guide that allows access to secondary sources.

It is important to note that all the intellectual production of man is compiled within the primary and secondary sources of information.

Therefore, they must be consulted to carry out any investigation or analysis of a specific phenomenon or situation in an objective way.

On the other hand, all sources have the same validity regardless of the category to which they belong.

This means that a primary source will not necessarily be more important or valid than a secondary one, and vice versa.

Primary sources

Primary sources are also called first-hand sources. They are those documentary resources that have been published for the first time, without being filtered, summarized, evaluated or interpreted by any individual.

These types of sources are derived from the creative or investigative activity of human beings. They can be found in various formats, both print and digital.

On many occasions, they are derived from the reaction or documentary nature of the human being. It is for this reason that in this category are newsrooms or interviews.

Some primary sources are listed below:

books

The books cover all branches of human knowledge. From the most basic material to the most complete is contained in the books. When these are written and edited for the first time, they are considered primary sources (Rosales, 2011).

The selection and analysis of the information contained in the books will depend on the interests of the reader. For this reason, they can be consulted by any type of professional or researcher who needs to extract particular data from them.

They are considered the informational legacy of humanity and its thoughts

Journals

Magazines are primary sources published on a regular basis. They can come in digital or physical format and talk about a wide variety of topics in each issue. They provide information about phenomena that are not normally reported in a book.

One of its most important characteristics, as sources of information, is its permanence over time.

This is due to the fact that the magazines will always deal with novel topics in a short way in each of their editions.

Newspaper articles

Newspaper articles are considered primary sources when talking about news events or events that happened recently.

These types of articles are similar to those of magazines, since they are produced continuously to feed the content of a newspaper.

Thesis

A thesis is a writing of academic origin in charge of exposing a specific topic, taking a position against it.

It is a unique and original production, the purpose of which is to issue a group of relevant conclusions on the subject of study.

It uses the compilation of information from numerous sources of information (primary, secondary and tertiary) to write its content.

Other

Other primary sources include monographs, songs, autobiographies, photographs, poems, research notes, short stories, plays, and letters.

Secondary sources

The principle of secondary sources is to collect, summarize, and reorganize information contained in primary sources. They were created to facilitate the consultation process, speeding up access to a greater number of sources in less time (Repplinger, 2017).

They are generally made up of collections of topics or primary references. Like primary fonts, its format can be digital or printed.

For this reason, within this category both virtual encyclopedias and physical compendia on specific topics can be covered, for example a dictionary of medical topics.

They are usually used when resources are limited and it is necessary to consult several reliable sources within the same investigation.

For this reason, they are studied when it is required to confirm certain findings or expand the information provided by a primary source. They are essential in planning research and academic studies.

Some secondary sources are listed below:

Biography

A biography can be defined as the written summary of a person's life. This summary is produced from the analysis that an individual makes about the available information related to the life of a specific character.

Like other sources of information, it can be found digitally or in print. Nowadays it is common to find documentaries or films based on a written biography.

Anthology

An anthology is a compilation of the best works of an author. These can be of a literary or musical nature.

For this reason, books of stories and poems, or albums with selected songs are within this source of information.

Encyclopedia

An encyclopedia can be understood as a reference or consultation text, within which information on numerous topics can be found.

A universal encyclopedia contains information on various areas of knowledge, while a specialized encyclopedia is responsible for collecting information on a specific topic.

Other

Other secondary sources include specialized dictionaries, literary criticisms, history books, articles on works of art, library catalogs, and any article that interprets the work of another author.

Tertiary sources

Tertiary sources are compendiums of references or information related to secondary sources.

They can be physical or virtual and facilitate control and access to all kinds of information. In other words, they are a library of titles or guide listing of reference works.

Common examples of tertiary research sources include library catalogs, reading lists, bibliographies, indexes, or people's directories.

References

1. Porto, JP, & Merino, M. (2008). of. Obtained from Definition of News: definicion.de
2. Porto, JP, & Merino, M. (2009). Definition of. Obtained from Definition of diary: definicion.de
3. Repplinger, J. (September 18, 2017). Williette University. Retrieved from Information Literacy: 11. Primary & Secondary Sources: libguides.willamette.edu
4. Rosales, SR (November 1, 2011). Obtained from Primary and Secondary Information Sources: Nuestrofuentesdeinformacion.blogspot.com.co
5. University, BG (September 12, 2017). Healey Library. Obtained from Primary Sources: A Research Guide: umb.libguides.com