Source Types

Reference page to remind you how to distinguish between primary, secondary and reference (tertiary) sources.

Primary

A primary source if a first-hand record of an event or topic created by a participant in or a witness to that event or topic.

Examples: letter, diary, eye-witness interview, statistical data, artifact, image, law/legal document, speech

Secondary

A secondary source is one that was created later by someone that did not experience firsthand or participate in the events in which the author is writing about.

Examples: books, journal articles, literary criticism, documentaries

Reference/Tertiary

Reference sources, also called tertiary sources, offer background and overview information on topics. They organize, define, compile, or digest information.

Examples: dictionaries, encyclopedias, directories, guidebooks, manuals, textbooks