Using Primary and Secondary Sources Examples Correctly

In this guide, we show you how to use primary and secondary sources examples correctly. We reveal the different types of primary sources for academic papers and how to back them up with secondary sources. 

We also reveal how Arvin AI can help you generate instant and accurate citations for both primary and secondary sources, saving you lots of time and hassle before submitting your assignments.

Primary and secondary sources examples: What’s the difference?

When you gather information as you conduct research, the places from which you take the information are known as sources. 

There are different types, including primary and secondary sources. Acknowledging the difference between the two sources is important, as they serve different purposes. You also need to reference them differently. Let’s take a closer look at primary and secondary sources and how they differ.

A primary source

A primary source is where you go for direct evidence. You, as the researcher, have done the research and gone directly to the source, and you have not lifted the details from an article or journal. Examples of primary sources include: 

• Interviews with research subjects 
• Statistical data 
• Speech recordings 
• Government or police documents 
• Artwork 
• Letters & diary entries 
• Physical objects 
• Official documents and records 
• Photographs and video footage

The key thing to remember is that a primary source gives you direct evidence about something that you’re researching. In academic research, it tends to be the main subject of your research. 

However, if you’re researching past events, primary source examples might include photographs or speech recordings from the time. 

Primary sources tend to deal with qualitative and quantitive data that you can present to the reader in different ways. If you’re writing a dissertation or any other academic thesis, a primary source is crucial when crafting and delivering your overall argument.

A secondary source

In contrast, a secondary source is someone (a journalist) or something (a journal) that analyzes or investigates the subject matter you’re researching. These are much more widely available and you might include dozens of secondary sources in your published work. Examples include: 

• Published articles in journals 
• Blog posts 
• News articles 
• Documentaries about historical events 
• Books and e-books about an event 
• Textbooks summarizing an argument

You can use secondary sources to back up an argument you’ve made or to offer contrasting opinions. These are just as important to academic work as primary sources, but you must give credit to the researchers who conducted the analysis. You should not pass the work off as your own. 

Therefore, the publication of the secondary source is crucial and will impact the credibility of your research. As such, you should always consider the credibility and the quality of the secondary sources that you include in your work. 

Examples to use in your work

Primary	Secondary
A book or e-book	An article reviewing the book or e-book
Letters written by a historical figure	A biography of the historical figure that includes these letters
Government policy	A newspaper article about a new government policy
An empirical study	A journal article that has published the findings of the empirical study
An interview (conducted by you) with an expert in a specific field	An interview with this expert taken from YouTube

Which are better – primary or secondary sources?

Most academic research includes both primary and secondary sources examples. For instance, you should refer to a primary study to make your main points, but you should then back this up with information from secondary sources. 

When researching, secondary sources show how your research contributes to the current body of work relating to the subject. You may find that your primary findings contradict most of the published articles on the topic. Highlighting this could contribute significantly to your field of research. 

You should use primary sources to: 

• Show independent research 
• Make an original contribution to the field 
• Provide your own argument 

You should use secondary sources to: 

• Provide background information 
• Challenge or refute an existing claim about a subject 
• Back up the arguments that you have made via your primary sources of information

Citing primary and secondary sources

In any academic work, it’s crucial to cite primary and secondary sources correctly. To make your life easier, you can use Arvin’s AI tools to cite both primary and secondary sources correctly. 

Check out the example below, where we asked Arvin to correctly cite a secondary source, taken from a journal article, that we used in a recent research paper about the LRA in Uganda: 

In the prompt, make sure you mention the referencing style you want to use, be it APA or Chicago, for example. You should also mention whether it’s a primary or secondary source. 

Then, simply copy and paste the reference from Arvin into your essay to cite the source correctly.

Wrap up – Using primary and secondary sources examples correctly

Using both primary and secondary sources is important when writing an academic paper. The primary source helps you make your argument, while secondary sources provide context relating to the field. 

You can also use secondary sources to back up your argument or to make contrary claims. You now know how to use both types of sources in your essays and have the perfect tool for citing these sources correctly. 

Looking for more academic inspiration? Read our guide, which will help you write the perfect research paper.

Primary and secondary sources examples FAQ

Are primary or secondary sources better?

Both primary and secondary sources are important. Therefore, you should include both in your academic writing. 

What is primary and secondary with examples?

A primary source is something like an interview with a research respondent. A secondary source, on the other hand, is something taken from a publication like an article, book, or journal.