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Primary sources and perspectives
A primary source comes from the time or participants of the event being studied. A secondary source analyzes or interprets earlier evidence. Neither type is automatically complete or unbiased.
Ask who produced the source, for which audience, and why. Compare accounts and separate observation from interpretation. Missing evidence should lead to uncertainty rather than a confident invented story.
Worked example
A diary is a primary source for what its writer reported; it does not establish that every described event happened exactly that way.
Try it yourself
Compare two descriptions of one event and note their agreements and disagreements.
Check your understanding
Which is typically a primary source for its own period?
A diary provides evidence from its time, though it still needs evaluation.
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