There are two main types of sources: primary and secondary.

Primary Sources

A primary source provides information directly from the original source. Examples include:

  • Text from a book
  • A research study
  • Eyewitness accounts
  • An original recording

Secondary Sources

A secondary source interprets or references a primary source. Examples include:

  • Quoting statistics from a research study
  • Citing a passage from a book
  • Analyzing eyewitness accounts
  • Translating an original recording

Whenever possible, seek out the original source. If a book refers to a specific study, try to access that study directly and review the original materials yourself. This will strengthen your research presentation and boost your confidence in your findings.

If you’re unable to find the original source or referencing it is impractical (for instance, if it’s in a different language and you must rely on a translation), be sure to clarify this in your presentation. For example: “From Smith and Smith’s 2006 study Solar Phenomena Over the Past Decade, as quoted in Solar Phenomena Basics by Sue Jones, 2007, Acme Publishers.” (We will cover documentation later in the workshop.)

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