Q. What is the difference between a primary and secondary source?

Primary sources are the original source of the information being presented. Secondary sources discuss or contain information about primary sources.

For example, a journal article discussing the research study conducted by a team of psychologists is a primary source article, and the news broadcast that mentions "a recent study by researchers indicate..." is a secondary source.

Check the Primary & Secondary Sources guide for a more thorough comparison of primary and secondary sources, as well as examples of each.