Primary and Secondary Resources
June 23, 2026
Posted by STLCC in Reading Resources
Most of what you read on a topic is based on information an author has collected. Even a textbook on psychology, for example, provides information on the field that describes and organizes theories, studies and background on that topic in a way that you can learn. It is not a personal account of that information or a primary resource, but it does provide a compilation of information collected from other sources, making it a secondary resource.
Even though you often do not read primary resources, it is important to understand the difference and how to identify them. Primary resources are important because they allow historians and other experts to report on actions and events based on facts from original sources.
Primary Resources
When you read a firsthand account of what happened, you are reading a primary source, or an original document. Whether they are photographs, raw data, artifacts or original letters and agreements, primary sources document notable events and facts in their original form.
Letters, speeches and diaries in their original form allow readers to witness first-hand what is said without interpretation. Even though articles depend on reporters who share what they or those quoted witnessed, most of them are considered primary sources because they document events and provide a first-hand account of what happened. Some articles, such as editorials, are not primary resources because they provide an author’s analysis.
Examples of Primary Resources
Originals of the following:
- Communication, such as letters, diaries and recorded communication.
- Historical documents, including speeches, agreements, treaties, declarations, maps, legal documents and artifacts, such as pottery, masks and tools.
- Personal documents, such as birth certificates, marriage licenses and wills.
- Research, including raw data, completed surveys and interviews.
- Some articles, including scholarly articles if they report on original data, photographs and some books, such as memoirs with personal reports of what happened.
Secondary Resources
Even if it is on social media, you read secondary resources every day. By doing so, you rely on authors to cover a topic, using other resources as needed to support their points. For example, textbooks are secondary resources that compile and share existing information on a topic in an organized way to learn complex material.
In fact, most books on a topic are secondary resources because they depend on others’ input to interpret information. Documentaries also fall in this category because they depend on others’ input and information and often provide a perspective.
Even though most articles are considered primary resources, scholarly articles or peer-reviewed articles often are considered secondary resources if they provide a compilation of others’ work. If the articles report raw data from the scientists directly involved in the research, then they are considered primary resources.
Examples of Secondary Resources
Secondary account:
- Biographies – Even if they include a compilation of letters and other information about someone’s life.
- Encyclopedia – Compiles accepted background information.
- Reviews – Analysis of books, movies, plays, etc.
- Textbooks/many books – Provide information organized in a way to help others learn complex material.
- Scholarly articles – Provide experts’ perspectives of others’ data or information on a specific topic.
Deciding Between Primary and Secondary Resources
When deciding if a source is primary or secondary, think about if it is original documentation of that source, such as an original letter, original birth certificate or original raw data, or whether it is someone else providing their analysis of others’ work.
| Consider | Questions to Ask |
|---|---|
| Author | Who wrote the article? Is there more than one author or did a group create the source? Are they reporting first-hand about the event and interviewing people there? Do you detect bias? |
| Sources | Does the author identify sources, include expert opinions and refer to other articles and authors? Or is the author sharing their raw data and original research and reporting findings? When was it created? What can you learn from this source? |
| Original | Is this an original photograph, piece of art or map, or is it included in another source as a copy of the original? |
| Intent | What’s the author’s purpose? Is the author collecting information and organizing it in a way to help others learn complex material? Or is the purpose to share unaltered material? Who is the intended audience? |
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