Sources are important in academic writing. Books, articles, websites, talks, videos, and anything else a person uses to conduct research and support their perspective are examples of sources. A person can’t have a valid piece of academic work if they don’t have any valid sources. Primary sources and secondary sources are the two types of sources.
Primary Sources vs Secondary Sources
The main difference between Primary Sources and Secondary Sources is that Primary Sources are said to be the raw information one gets or is the first hand of any result, which in other words can be said as the rough work or raw piece of information. On the other hand, Secondary Sources are the information that is resourced after analyzing the primary information.
Primary sources are information that is gathered directly from the source. To put it another way, the primary source is the raw or haphazard information gathered by an individual. Photographs, official papers, interview transcripts, video footage, survey results, diary entries, and other primary sources are examples.
The type of information gained from primary sources is known as secondary sources. In other words, secondary source information is defined as a secondary person’s interpretation, description, or analysis of a primary source. Journal articles, textbooks, reference books, encyclopedias, scholarly essays, documentaries, and other secondary sources are some examples.
Comparison Table Between Primary Sources and Secondary Sources
| Parameters of Comparison | Primary Sources | Secondary Sources |
| Definition | This type of information is said to be rough, raw, or first-hand. | This type of information is obtained after analyzing the primary sources. |
| Information | Direct information | Interpretations of second people |
| Function | Collected for any research analysis | Interpret the results, analyze them, describe them, what is obtained through primary sources |
| Objectivity | Can be collected for personal work and be subjectively filled with the individual personal touches | It is more objective |
| Examples | Photographs, official documents, interview transcripts, video footage, survey results, diary entry, etc | Articles published in journals, textbooks, reference books, encyclopedias, academic essays, documentaries, etc |
What are Primary Sources?
Primary sources are the raw data or first-hand evidence that a person collects during his/her investigation. It is the primary source in any research study that provides the individual with direct evidence regarding the events or phenomena he/she is examining. Interview transcripts, survey results, official papers, works of art, and statistical data are only a few examples. This information can be quantitative or qualitative and is the focus of the investigation.
For example, if anyone is investigating Shakespearean language, their major source will be Shakespeare’s works of literature. Similarly, if they are looking into the spread of an illness, their key sources could include medical statistics data, interviews with doctors and patients, laboratory findings, and so on.
Or if for any historical event, they might not be able to find direct evidence because the persons involved are no longer alive. However, they may use the sources created by witnesses at the time, such as photographs, video recordings, letters, diary entries, and newspaper stories from the time.
What are Secondary Sources?
Secondary sources are those that interpret or evaluate primary sources’ information. As a result, they are inextricably linked to primary sources. Primary sources are frequently described, generalized, and synthesized in these sources. Some examples include journal articles, reference books, textbooks, encyclopedias, documentaries, and academic writings. Additionally, secondary sources include synopses, descriptions, and evaluations of artistic works.
These aren’t normally assessed secondary sources directly when citing them in a research paper. However, we use them to bolster our arguments, develop new ideas, and refute existing data in the field. In other words, we use secondary sources to support our beliefs or arguments concerning primary sources. Secondary sources aid in the gathering of data and the drawing of conclusions from primary sources.
Main Differences Between Primary Sources and Secondary Sources
- Primary sources are defined as information that is described as rough, raw, or first-hand and has not been supplemented, whilst secondary sources, on the other hand, are defined as sources that are gained after analyzing primary sources.
- The information gained from primary sources is direct and raw, but the information obtained from secondary sources, on the other hand, is primarily the secondary person’s interpretation of the original sources.
- The purpose of gathering primary sources is primarily for any research project, whereas the purpose of secondary sources, on the other hand, is primarily for reporting, evaluating, and interpreting the results gained from primary sources.
- The objectivity behind the collecting of primary materials might be subjective or personal reasons or work and may include the individual’s personal or private emotions or experiences, but the objectivity behind secondary sources, on the other hand, is primarily objective.
- Photographs, official documents, interview transcripts, video footage, survey findings, diary entries, and so on are examples of primary sources, whereas secondary sources include articles published in journals, textbooks, reference books, encyclopedias, academic essays, documentaries, and so on.
Conclusion
To summarize the given topic, this can be concluded that in academic writing, citing different sources that are being used is crucial. These sources may include books, papers, websites, speeches, videos, and anything else a person utilizes to conduct research and support their point of view.
The most important criteria for citing sources or writing any work says that the person does not have a valid piece of academic work if they do not have any valid sources, and thus they are divided into two categories: primary sources and secondary sources.
Both sources supply useful knowledge that can be used in an essay or other types of academic writing, but both of them are used in very different ways. A primary source is essential and gives a rough idea of any information, while a Secondary source is obtained later by analyzing and interpreting the results of the primary sources. The information delivered through a primary source is fresh and raw, while the information delivered through a secondary source is the description or interpretation done by a second person.
References
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0099133306000528
- https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/14/3047/2014/
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1352231009007857
- https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/12/3273/2012/