What's a Primary Source? Information in the Various Disciplines

What is considered a primary source varies somewhat by discipline. In any case, think of a primary source as first-hand knowledge, eyewitness accounts or testimony about __(whatever topic)_____.

In history, a primary source is a letter, a diary, speech, lecture, piece of legislation, document or manuscript-- in other words, an original source which commonly then forms the basis, along with other sources, of other secondary work, such as a study of life in eighteenth century Ireland.

A narrative is "[A]n account or narration; a history, tale, story, recital (of facts, etc.)," according to the Oxford English Dictionary. In other words, a narrative is usually a personal account, by a single individual, of a period of time or an event.

In the arts, a primary source may be a piece of art, such as a painting or sculpture, a musical score, a poem, or an essay--whatever is created by the artist, writer, photographer, etc.

In the sciences, a primary source is the first report of research; it may be published as a journal article, or sometimes as a research report.

In some of the social sciences, such as anthropology, ethnography, psychology, sociology or social work, a primary source may be the first report of a piece of research, as in the physical sciences, or it may be something closer to primary sources in history, since some areas of these fields depend on direct observation, data, personal narratives or commentary, as from interviews or case studies.

A secondary source is based on a primary source or other sources. It includes analysis, criticism, or other intellectual input. Secondary sources include books, book chapters, articles, especially literature reviews, and some book reviews. Some bibliographies, if well annotated, are considered secondary sources.

A tertiary source is commonly a resource or tool that helps people find primary or secondary sources. Tertiary sources include most bibliographies, databases and indexes, and library catalogs.

What's gray literature? Gray literature is information that is usually not published for the general population, but available in limited distribution, typically to persons inside a company, a discipline, an industry, or a government sector. Examples include white papers, preliminary reports, brochures, handouts, working papers, notes, and so on. Some gray literature, such as in as scientific or engineering areas, is fairly well indexed and easy to find.

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