Define primary versus secondary sources with an example.

• A. Primary source is direct evidence (original documents, eyewitness); secondary source analyzes or interprets it (news article). Example: video interview vs. an article about the interview
• B. Primary source is a summarized article; secondary source is the original document
• C. Primary source is opinion; secondary source is fact
• D. Primary source is outdated; secondary source is new

Answer: (A)

Primary sources are first-hand, direct evidence from the time or event, such as original documents, recordings, or eyewitness accounts. Secondary sources interpret, analyze, or summarize those primary sources. A video interview captures the interviewee’s own words and expressions, so it’s a primary source. An article about that interview interprets or analyzes what was said, adding context, and thus is a secondary source.

This distinction matters for research because you’d consult primary sources to see the raw information, and use secondary sources to understand how others have interpreted that information. The other descriptions mix up the relationship: a summarized article isn’t the original evidence, the original document is primary rather than its summary, and primary/secondary isn’t based on opinion versus fact. Also, primary versus secondary isn’t about old versus new.