Exam Tips: Primary & Secondary Sources

 What are primary sources?

Primary sources are original records or documents created by someone who lived at the time of the event you are studying. These sources enable you to get as close as possible to what actually happened. Examples of primary sources include: historical manuscripts, parliamentary debates and papers,Bills, Acts, speeches and interviews, letters, diaries, autobiographies,statistical data, films or videos,audio recordings, court and legal documents.


     Why are primary sources useful?

• *Primary sources are invaluable for a number of reasons. They serve as the raw material for serious enquiry.
  *Later sources (termed secondary or tertiary sources) add layers of interpretation which separate you from the actual event. Close reading of primary sources will often allow you to draw your own conclusions.
  *Primary sources are not necessarily objective. They represent the views of specific individuals at a single point in time.
  *Even official records (such as census documents) are not free from bias. If you work extensively with primary sources, you need to develop some rules for critical assessment.                                                                                                                                                      
  
  What is a secondary source?
  A secondary source interprets and analyzes primary sources. These sources are one or more steps removed from the event. Secondary sources may have pictures, quotes or graphics of primary sources in them. Some types of secondary sources include:
   
  
  • PUBLICATIONS: Textbooks, magazine articles, histories, criticisms, commentaries, encyclopedias  
   
  Advantages
  
  Ease of Access
• There are many advantages to using secondary research. This includes the relative ease of access to many sources of secondary data. In the past secondary data accumulation required marketers to visit libraries, or wait for reports to be shipped by mail. Now with the availability of online access, secondary research is more openly accessed. This offers convenience and generally standardized usage methods for all sources of secondary research.                                                      
• Low Cost to Acquire                                                                                                                     The use of secondary data has allowed researchers access to valuable information for little or no cost to acquire. Therefore, this information is much less expensive then if the researchers had to carry out the research themselves.
  
  Disadvantages
  
  Quality of Research
• There are some disadvantages to using secondary research. The originators of the primary research are largely self-governed and controlled by the marketer. Therefore, the secondary research used must be scrutinized closely since the origins of the information may be questionable. Moreover, the researcher needs to take sufficient steps to critically evaluate the validity and reliability of the information provided.
  
  
  Not Timely 
• When using secondary research, one must exercise caution when using dated information from the past. With companies competing in fast changing industries, an out-of-date research reports many have little or no relevance to the current market situation.