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ANTHR 101 - Biological Anthropology (Bolter)

Learn to locate academically-appropriate sources for completing Debra Bolter's research assignment.

See For Yourself

How can you tell the two types of information apart? How would you know when to use one rather than the other?

This clip from the UCSD Social Sciences & Humanities Library will help you understand the two.

Primary & Secondary Information

For research projects you will be using two basic types of information: Primary and Secondary. Your instructor will usually tell you what types of information he or she expects you to use for your research. What's the difference between these types?

Types of Information: Primary and Secondary Sources Primary sources are: Created during the time under study A first-hand account Direct sources without interpretation Examples of primary sources include: Government documents Diaries and letters Laws and codes Studies and experiments News reporting of current events Speeches Interviews Autobiographies Creative works like novels, poems, films, paintings, sculptures, buildings, etc. Secondary sources are: Created after the time under study One or more steps removed from events Indirect sources that interpret, summarize, and/or analyze primary sources and events Examples of secondary sources include: Textbooks Encyclopedias Histories Review articles Biographies Criticisms, commentaries, and opinion pieces

Primary (Think of this as Firsthand):

Primary sources are original materials that were created firsthand; they have not been run through the filter of interpretation.

Because primary sources are the documents or artifacts closest to the topic of investigation, they are a great way to gain insight into and an understanding of an event or topic. Often they are created during the time period that is being studied but they can also be produced later by eyewitnesses or participants.

You may find primary sources in their original format (usually in an archive) or reproduced in a variety of ways: books, microfilm, digital, etc.

Examples are:

  • Original Research (reported in journals & dissertations)
  • Diaries
  • Interviews (legal proceedings, personal, telephone, email)
  • Letters
  • Original Documents (i.e. birth certificate or a trial transcript)
  • Patents
  • Photographs
  • Proceedings of Meetings, Conferences and Symposia
  • Survey Research (such as market surveys and public opinion polls)
  • Works of Literature
  • Laws (constitutions, statutes, regulations, and court cases)

For more information and help with finding Primary Sources, check out our Find Primary Sources research guide.

Secondary (Think of this as Second-Hand):

Secondary information is made up of accounts written after the fact with the benefit of hindsight. Therefore, secondary information interprets and evaluates primary information. Examples are:

  • Analysis & Interpretations of Original Research (reported in magazines)
  • Biographies
  • Books
  • Commentaries
  • Dissertations
  • Indexes, Abstracts, Bibliographies (used to locate primary & secondary sources)
  • Journal Articles


You'll use the OneSearch (Library Catalog), library databases, and the Web to find secondary sources.

Tags: bolter, evolution
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