A secondary source in history is a work created by someone who did not experience or participate directly in the events being studied. Instead, it interprets, analyzes, or synthesizes information from primary sources, which are original, firsthand accounts or evidence from the time under investigation
. Secondary sources are typically scholarly books, articles, or documents that provide commentary or evaluation of historical events. They often include textbooks, journal articles, histories, encyclopedias, biographies, and critiques. These sources are one or more steps removed from the original event and may contain quotes, pictures, or references to primary sources
. In summary:
- Primary sources are original materials created at the time of the event by witnesses or participants (e.g., letters, diaries, official documents, artifacts).
- Secondary sources are later works that analyze, interpret, or discuss primary sources and historical events, created by historians or scholars who were not direct witnesses
Thus, a secondary source helps readers understand and contextualize historical events through the lens of analysis rather than firsthand experience
