PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SOURCES

8th L.A. Research

Learning Targets I understand the difference

between primary and secondary sources.

I can identify possible primary sources for my research project.

What is a Source? A book, statement, person, mag

azine, etc., supplying information.

What is the Difference Between Primary and Secondary Sources?

Primary Sources Documents or objects

written or created during the time being studied

Offer an inside view of a particular event

Examples of Primary SourcesoDiariesoAutobiographiesoSpeechesoLetterso InterviewsoNews film footageoOfficial recordsoPhotographs of an event

Secondary Sources Interpret or analyze primary

sources Are one step removed from

the actual event

Examples of Secondary Sources

oMagazine articlesoNewspaper articlesoEncyclopedia articlesoTextbooks

Primary vs. Secondary Primary: The poem “Field Work” by Seamus

Heaney

Secondary: A review of the poem “Field Work” by

George Cusack in New Hibernia Review (2002 Autumn), pp. 53-72.

Primary vs. Secondary Primary: The text of Barack Obama’s speech

Secondary: A 2004 editorial in The New York

Times entitled "Everybody Loves Obama”

Practice…Primary or Secondary?#1) The lyrics to “Rolling in the Deep” by Adele.

#2) An article in Spin magazine about Adele.

#3) An interview in Rolling Stone with Adele.

#4) A war correspondent’s article about a battle in Baghdad that he witnessed.

#5) A government report on childhood obesity in the United States.

Practice…Primary or Secondary?#1) The lyrics to “Rolling in the Deep” by Adele. PRIMARY#2) An article in Spin magazine about Adele. SECONDARY#3) An interview in Rolling Stone with Adele. PRIMARY#4) A war correspondent’s article about a battle in Baghdad that he witnessed. PRIMARY#5) A government report on childhood obesity in the United States. PRIMARY

Requirement You must include at least one primary

source in your final project

These could include An interview A government report A published research study Statistics from a census report