Hi, this is a short video to introduce you to Primary and Secondary Sources. I'll answer the questions, what's the difference between Primary and Secondary Sources, how can I tell the difference between the two, and where can I find sources. A Primary Source is a document or physical object that was written or created during the time under study. Primary sources were present during an experience or time period and offer an inside view of a particular event. Some types of primary sources include original documents such as a speech, photograph, news film footage, a letter, an interview, or written documents such as a memoir, a manuscript, or an autobiography. Examples of primary sources include diary, such as a diary of Anne Frank, President Eisenhower's farewell address, a film of the Wright Brothers Flight, or a journal article reporting new research or findings. A secondary source interprets, analyzes, or draws conclusions about events reported in a primary source. Secondary sources are one or more steps removed from the event. They may have pictures, quotes, or graphics of primary sources in them. Some types of secondary sources include publications such as textbooks, magazine articles, histories, criticisms, commentaries, and encyclopedias. Some examples of secondary sources include a journal or magazine article which interprets or reviews previous findings. A history textbook or a book about the effects of World War I. Ask yourself these questions to decide whether a source is primary or secondary. How does the author know these details such as names, dates, and times? Was the author present at the event or soon on the scene? Where does this information come from? Personal experience, eyewitness accounts, or reports written by others? Are the author's conclusions based on a single piece of evidence or have many sources been taken into account? For example, diary entries along with third-party eyewitness accounts and newspaper accounts. Primary and secondary source material is available through the library databases as well as from reputable sites on the internet. Our Canvas course site contains a list of sites where you can discover primary sources and suggestions for searching databases in the library catalog.