How to Evaluate Primary and Secondary Sources?

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Writing an essay is not that easy. Those who develop content have the idea that any essay includes different types of references. These references are scholarly materials on which the new content is based on. These references authenticate the material of the new essay and help the readers to have an idea about how this topic is relevant and contemporary. For many students, it remains a daunting task to differentiate between the primary and secondary types of sources. If you have such confusion or don’t have an idea about how to use such sources in your material, this piece of writing will help you understand primary and secondary sources or you can always ask others to write essay for me.

Evaluating primary and secondary sources is important. The following are some ways through which an essay writer can evaluate both the primary and secondary sources.

Evaluating Primary and Secondary Sources

• The primary sources mention events as a first-hand source. For example, an account of the event, or the explanation of an artwork is a primary source as it mentions directly about the subject that is being discussed.
• A primary source gives an account of the original incident. For example, a first investigation report is a primary source. Similarly, an author’s mentioning of the event that took place in his presence is a primary source.
• Some published sources are primary sources as well if they relate to time which is being discussed in that publication. These published sources are critical as they give an account of the situation as a firsthand knowledge.
• Interestingly, sometimes the primary sources provide the opinion and it is generally not advisable for the essay writer to incorporate such sources. The reason why it is not advisable is the fact that such opinions and suggestions can be time-specific and the author may have a different opinion when you are using that reference.
• Rarely primary sources can be unwritten. These unwritten sources may include soundtracks, pictures, or ideas that may come in anyone’s mind. Such primary sources are stated when it becomes much essential to use them in the text.
• At times, while referring to the life of any individual or it becomes paramount to refer to the life events of that individual, the bibliographies and memoirs are interpreted as primary sources.

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Compared to the primary sources, secondary sources have a totally different use and their context and relevancy is also entirely changed. For evaluating the secondary sources, the following aspects can be helpful:

• Secondary sources are mostly analysis, summaries, interpretation, or evaluation of an already written text.
• The secondary sources clearly mention the name of the author that you must use, while referring to a secondary source in your document.
• The secondary source helps you develop an idea, and sometimes authenticates your argument.
• In any published text or a written document, you can find links to some secondary sources often placed in their bibliography or endnotes. Bibliography and Endnotes help to find links to some very authentic readings over which the reading is developed.
• The secondary sources sometimes are developed by one or more than one author. Readings that include more than one author present a diverse perspective and help to analyze things under discussion more generally.
• The secondary sources are opinion-based documents. Apart from analyzing the texts, these documents help students to develop unbiased analysis. The unbiased analysis is the prerequisite for such analysis-based sources as a biased opinion devalues the credibility of the paper.

For any essay writer, both primary and secondary sources are important. These sources help in outlining and individualizing any document. The literary and academic norms consider it essential to refer to each source that has been used in the new document.

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