Policy Researcher Tutorial

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1. Primary and Secondary Sources

Definitions

In History and the Social Sciences, primary sources are works that were created during the time period about which they are written or by eye-witnesses of an event.

In Science and Medicine, articles that discuss new discoveries, as opposed to summarizing previously written material, are considered primary sources. For example, the database Health and Psychosocial Instruments (HaPI)
(Access via web: EBSCO) builds in a check box for "Primary Source" to limit searches to the first time a test or measure was used in a study.

In contrast, secondary sources are works that interpret or analyze the content of primary sources. Most reference books, text books, and scholarly publications are secondary resources.

The key to determining whether a source is primary or secondary is the amount of time between the events recorded in the document and the time the document was created. Primary sources are generally created at the same time or shortly after an event occurs; secondary sources are created later.

= University of Michigan Licensed Database -- Accessible from campus workstations and from remote locations to valid U-M community members with signon or with valid IP address.