Skip to Main Content

Information Literacy for First Year Students: Lesson 9: Primary sources versus secondary sources

Information Literacy Programme for first year students. Start with "Home" and finish with "Unit 7: Information Identity" Assistance to enrol, click here Blackboard user

Primary sources versus secondary sources

  • A primary source is a document or physical object which was written or created during the time under study.
  • A secondary source is interprets and analyses primary sources. These sources are one or more steps removed from the event. Secondary sources may have pictures, quotes or graphics of primary sources in them.

Discussion forum