A Primary Source is a historical document or artifact or person from the time period under study. This may include:
NOTE: Whether a source is primary or secondary depends on the topic being studied. Example:
A secondary source is a work written about, and usually after, a historical event. This may include:
In Academe, we are especially interested in a specific type of secondary source: Peer Reviewed Publications.
But what's the difference between scholarly, peer reviewed, popular, or refereed?
Scholarly: A source written by an expert, but not subjected to the peer review process.
Example: magazine articles (if written by expert), public presentations, reviews, opinion pieces, some podcasts.
Refereed: Academic work that has some level of vetting, usually by an editor or panel.
Example: Conference papers, journal articles that are approved by an editor but not external reviewers.
NOTE: refereed is often used interchangeably with Peer Reviewed by databases, but it isn't always the same.
Popular: Written for a wide readership. May or may not be written by a subject expert.
Examples: newspaper or magazine, popular press books, websites.
Peer Reviewed: Academic books and articles written by a specialist, reviewed by other experts, and published by an academic press.
Examples: Articles in academic journals, some conference papers, books published by university presses.
Why do we use books sometimes instead of articles? What is the difference between a chapter and an article, since they're about the same length? Why isn't an encyclopedia article considered a peer reviewed article, and why isn't an encyclopedia the same as a book?
Each format has a different function, different scope, different purpose. Know this helps you know where to start your search.
Every type of scholarly source has a specific purpose and scope, and knowing what each publication is meant to do will help you know where to start. The general types are: