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University Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Education Policy, Organization and Leadership 590-BB2: Women in Higher Education: Primary Sources

Primary vs. Secondary Sources

Primary source
In scholarship, a document or record containing firsthand information or original data on a topic, used in preparing a derivative work. Primary sources include original manuscripts, diaries, memoirs, letters, journals, photographs, drawings, posters, film footage, sheet music, songs, interviews, government documents, public records, eyewitness accounts, newspaper clippings, etc.

Secondary source
Any published or unpublished work that is one step removed from the original source, usually describing, summarizing, analyzing, evaluating, derived from, or based on primary source materials, for example, a review, critical analysis, second-person account, or biographical or historical study. Also refers to material other than primary sources used in the preparation of a written work.

Electronic Resources

Subject Guide

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