Primary+and+Secondary+Sources

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Understanding Primary and Secondary Sources  Doing historical research means looking at many different sources of information. Any material that's from the time being studied is called a primary source. It is "first-hand," or original, material. A later description by someone who didn't live through the experience is called a secondary source. It is "second-hand" material.

 Primary Sources  Real-life stories can help us see things from another person's viewpoint. They help us better understand the people and the times. Primary documents make historical events seem more real.

 Secondary Sources  Secondary sources can offer facts and data - accurate information that can't be argued. Other types of secondary sources offer people's interpretations of subjects or events. They offer analyses and opinions.

 Some materials can be either primary or secondary. For example, a photograph of a battle in World War I is a primary source, but a reference book that contains photographs and descriptive text about the war is a secondary source.

 Step 1  To identify the material as a primary or secondary source: - Look for information that appears with the material, such as an author, source or credit line, date, caption, introduction - anything that explains where it's from, and from what year.

 Primary Sources:  - personal writing (diaries, letters, poems, journals)  - people - for interviews, stories, e-mail  - transcripts (written versions) of interviews or speeches  - material such as government documents, treaties, contracts, posters, advertisements, sheet music, maps, magazines and newspapers, comic books  - recorded songs, interviews, speeches <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;"> - visual material such as drawings, paintings, carvings, sculptures, photographs, original films, videotapes of performances, television shows <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;"> - artifacts such as souvenirs, tools, antiques

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;"> Secondary Sources: <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;"> - reference material (encyclopedias, atlases, guide books, fact books, dictionaries) <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;"> - books, usually non-fiction <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;"> - magazines and newspapers <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;"> - CD-ROMs <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;"> - some websites <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;"> - videotapes, audiotapes, films, television shows

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">Step 2 <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;"> - Use clues to help you identify the source material. Within a book: <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;"> - look for quotation marks or special designs for primary sources <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;"> - look for a credit line that explains where it comes from <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;"> - primary-source writing is often written in the first person, so it has words like "l," "my," and "we" <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;"> - primary-source writing often has words that are from a different time, or slang such as "'em" instead of "them," or a conversational tone, such as "Well, then I just told her..." <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">- Visuals that are primary-source material often have an old look.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;"> Step 3 <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;"> Consider how the source of the material might affect its value and its meaning for you. For example, ask yourself:

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;"> - Who created this? How does that affect the meaning for me? <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">- Why was the material created? How does that affect its meaning? <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">- What information can this material give me? <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">- Should I find other sources to help me see other viewpoints?

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;"> When working with primary and secondary sources... <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">- Look for direct information stating where and when the material is from. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">- Look for clues about where and when it's from. (Does the artifact look old? In a book, does the text look different from the rest of the book? Is it written in the first person?) <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">- Consider how the source of the material affects its meaning for you.

<span style="background-color: #ceebeb; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">Activity <span style="background-color: #ceebeb; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">1. Decide whether each of the following is a primary source or a secondary source:

<span style="background-color: #ceebeb; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">a) a Hollywood movie about the Vietnam War <span style="background-color: #ceebeb; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">b) a menu from the Titanic <span style="background-color: #ceebeb; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">c) a transcript of a story told by a First Nations elder <span style="background-color: #ceebeb; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">d) a documentary about Canadian Red Cross workers <span style="background-color: #ceebeb; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">e) a book of essays about World War II <span style="background-color: #ceebeb; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">f) a book of diary entries about World War II <span style="background-color: #ceebeb; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">g) a comic book from the 1940s

<span style="background-color: #ceebeb; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">2. See if you can find a primary source on the internet. It could be a letter, an old book, a photo or anything else you can think of.