Primary sources are original, uninterpreted information. Scholars analyze primary sources in order to answer research questions. Examples of primary sources vary by discipline.
Examples in the humanities:
Examples in the social sciences:
Example in the sciences:
The Archives & Special Collections collects, preserves, and makes available primary source material for the research and teaching use of our students, faculty, and staff. In addition to documenting life at the University, the collections represent regional, national and international issues.
If you would like assistance researching primary sources in the Archives & Special Collections, please contact archives@pugetsound.edu.
In addition, a small portion of photographs, historical documents, and digitized material are available online.
A Craftsman 6.5 x 10" tabletop platen press and movable type are used to produce unique items for the Collins Press.
Primary sources in the natural sciences are publications which provide a full description of original research and the presents the results of that research. The most common example of a primary source in the sciences is a scholarly article published in a peer-reviewed journal. Primary sources in the sciences include a description of the research and the results and references to other research in the field, and are factual, not interpretive. They can also take the form of more personal records and correspondence, including lab notebooks, diaries, and letters.
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Primary Source |
Secondary Source |
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Definition |
Original materials that have not been filtered through interpretation or evaluation by a second party. |
Sources that contain commentary on or a discussion about a primary source. |
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Formats (depending on the research being conducted) |
See below for thorough list, but anything which presents the findings and presents full descriptions of original research. |
See below, but anything which does NOT present original results, but instead discusses, critiques or comments on original research. Necessarily comes later in the publication cycle. |
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Example: Scientists Studying Industrial Fertilizer |
Article in scholarly journal publishing results of testing for fertilizer levels. |
Newspaper editorial calling for regulations on use of industrial fertilizer. |
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Example of Types of Sources |
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(adapted from http://library.albany.edu/usered/dr/prisci.html)
