Primary, Secondary, & Tertiary Sources

Summary

This script explores the three types of sources for research: primary, secondary, and tertiary. Primary sources are original creations, like artifacts, documents, and current news, offering direct evidence. Secondary sources analyze and interpret primary materials, often found in articles and books. Tertiary sources synthesize information from primary and secondary sources, such as encyclopedias. The script provides examples from art and physics to illustrate the distinctions and their applications in research.

Takeaways

• 📚 Primary, secondary, and tertiary sources are the three types of sources used for research.
• 🌟 A primary source is an original idea, concept, or creation that is current with the time period it was created.
• 🗞️ Primary sources include artifacts, personal journals, letters, e-mails, text messages, and newspaper articles reporting current events.
• 🎨 Creative works like photographs, paintings, sculptures, poetry, novels, and articles with original research are considered primary sources.
• 🔍 Secondary sources provide interpretation, analysis, and commentary on primary sources, often found in articles, books, and websites.
• 📝 An example of a secondary source is an article discussing the results of an experiment published in a journal.
• 📚 Tertiary sources compile information from primary and secondary sources, commonly found in reference works like encyclopedias and dictionaries.
• 🔑 There can be an overlap between secondary and tertiary sources, with the defining qualities dependent on the institution and discipline.
• 🖌️ For an art topic, a primary source could be a painting by Mark Rothko, while an analysis of the painting or artist would be secondary.
• 📘 A tertiary source in art could be an encyclopedia entry on the artist or the painting.
• 🌌 For a physics topic, a primary source might be Einstein's paper on the General Theory of Relativity, with a secondary source discussing the theory and a tertiary source being an encyclopedia entry on the subject.

Q & A

What are the three types of sources used for research as mentioned in the script?

The three types of sources used for research are Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary sources.

What is a primary source according to the script?

A primary source is an original idea, concept, or creation that is current with the time period in which it is created.

Can you provide examples of primary sources mentioned in the script?

Examples of primary sources include artifacts, personal journals, diaries, letters, e-mails, text messages, newspaper articles reporting current events, photographs, paintings, sculptures, poetry, novels, and articles or books recounting original research and studies.

What is the role of secondary sources in research?

Secondary sources offer interpretation, analysis, and commentary on primary sources.

How does the script differentiate between a primary and a secondary source in the context of a scientific experiment?

If a scientist publishes the results of their experiment in a journal, that is a primary source. Another researcher who publishes an article discussing the results of this experiment creates a secondary source.

What are common forms of secondary sources as per the script?

Secondary sources are commonly found as articles in newspapers, magazines, and journals, as well as books and websites.

What constitutes a tertiary source?

Tertiary sources offer information that has been gathered and distilled from primary and secondary sources.

Give examples of tertiary sources as mentioned in the script.

Common examples of tertiary sources are reference works like encyclopedias, dictionaries, almanacs, handbooks, and fact books.

Is there an overlap between secondary and tertiary sources according to the script?

Yes, there can be and often is an overlap between secondary and tertiary resources.

How does the script relate the qualities defining each source type to the institution and discipline?

The qualities that define each source type are dependent on your institution and your specific discipline.

Can you provide an example from the script on how to differentiate primary, secondary, and tertiary sources in art research?

In art research, a primary source could be a painting by Mark Rothko. A secondary source would be an article or book analyzing this painting or the artist, while a tertiary source would be an encyclopedia containing entries on either.

What is an example of primary, secondary, and tertiary sources in the context of physics research according to the script?

In physics research, a primary source could be the paper 'The Foundation of the General Theory of Relativity' by Albert Einstein. A secondary source would be an article discussing this theory, and a tertiary source would consist of an encyclopedia entry on the Theory of Relativity.