Is an expert opinion a primary source?
Asked by: Niko Kirlin | Last update: February 1, 2026Score: 5/5 (25 votes)
An expert opinion is generally a secondary source, as it's an analysis or interpretation about original events or research, not the firsthand evidence itself, though an expert's original research report (primary) or firsthand account of an event (primary) can be a primary source. The key is whether the information is raw, direct evidence (primary) or commentary on that evidence (secondary).
Is an expert a primary source?
No, an interview with an expert (a professor of Civil War history, for example) is not a primary source, UNLESS that expert actually lived through and has firsthand knowledge of the events being described.
Is an opinion a primary source?
Primary and secondary categories are often not fixed and depend on the study or research you are undertaking. For example, newspaper editorial/opinion pieces can be both primary and secondary.
How can I tell if an article is a primary source?
In a primary source, the authors report on research they conducted themselves. The best way to determine this is to read the introduction of the paper where the authors will explain what they are presenting. If the authors report only about someone else's research or a different study, it is not primary.
What is not considered a primary source?
Primary sources are NOT...
Books written after a historical event by someone who was not involved in the event. An interview with someone who has an opinion or is knowledgeable about a historical event, even if that person is an expert or a historian on the event.
How to Analyze Primary Sources and Secondary Sources
What are 5 primary sources?
Five primary sources are Diaries/Letters, Autobiographies/Memoirs, Photographs/Recordings, Speeches/Interviews, and Government Documents/Records, all offering firsthand accounts or original evidence from a specific time period or event, crucial for historical research.
What is a non example of a primary source?
Primary sources
Non-written sources include interviews, films, photos, recordings of music, clothing, buildings, or tools from the period.
What are the four types of primary sources?
What are the types of Primary Sources?
- Personal Accounts - “I was there” Among the most frequently used primary sources are writings or interviews that come directly from the people who were present when the event being studied occurred. ...
- Documents. ...
- Original Creations. ...
- Raw Data. ...
- Artifacts.
How to know if it's a secondary or primary source?
To tell if a source is primary or secondary, ask if the creator was a direct participant or observer (primary) or someone interpreting the event later (secondary); primary sources offer first-hand accounts, raw data, or original materials (like a diary, photo, or research), while secondary sources analyze, summarize, or comment on primary sources (like a textbook or a historical analysis article). The context matters: a government website is primary for studying government communication but secondary for climate research.
What qualifies as primary research?
Primary research is any type of research that you collect yourself. Examples include surveys, interviews, observations, and ethnographic research. A good researcher knows how to use both primary and secondary sources in their writing and to integrate them in a cohesive fashion.
What qualifies something as a primary source?
A primary source is a first-hand or contemporary account of an event or topic. Primary sources are the most direct evidence of a time or event because they were created by people or things that were there at the time or event. These sources offer original thought and have not been modified by interpretation.
Are court opinions primary sources?
About Primary Sources
Examples of primary sources include court decisions, statutes, and constitutions. In appellate advocacy, the primary law includes any relevant federal and state court rules, statutes, and case law.
Is a speech considered a primary source?
Primary sources can include letters, diaries, or interviews; historical news reportage; original works of fiction, art, or music; testimony or speeches. Primary sources enable the researcher to get as close as possible to what actually happened during an historical event or time period.
Can an interview be a primary source?
Using an interview can be an effective primary source for some papers and research projects. Finding an expert in the field or some other person who has knowledge of your topic can allow for you to gather unique information not available elsewhere.
What is an expert source?
An expert source refers to an individual with specialized knowledge or expertise in a particular field, whose insights can add credibility and depth to a story. These sources are often professionals, academics, or recognized authorities who provide informed perspectives that enrich the reporting process.
How to identify primary, secondary, and tertiary sources?
Primary source: an original document/image, the results of an experiment, statistical data, first-hand account, or creative work. Secondary source: something written about or using primary sources. Tertiary source: a collection of primary and secondary sources.
Which of the following is a primary source?
Primary sources can include: Texts of laws and other original documents. Newspaper reports, by reporters who witnessed an event or who quote people who did. Speeches, diaries, letters and interviews - what the people involved said or wrote.
How do I identify secondary sources?
Examples of Secondary Sources:
Textbooks, edited works, books and articles that interpret or review research works, histories, biographies, literary criticism and interpretation, reviews of law and legislation, political analyses and commentaries.
What are 10 examples of primary sources?
Examples of primary sources:
- Diaries, letters, memoirs, autobiographies.
- Interviews, speeches, oral histories, personal narratives.
- Scientific data and reports.
- Scholarly journal articles (depends on discipline)
- Statistical and survey data.
- Works of art, photographs, music, or literature.
- Archeological artifacts.
What is primary evidence?
Primary evidence refers to original documents or objects that are directly related to a case or matter, while secondary evidence refers to copies or testimony about primary evidence.
What are five primary sources?
Five primary sources are Diaries/Letters, Autobiographies/Memoirs, Photographs/Recordings, Speeches/Interviews, and Government Documents/Records, all offering firsthand accounts or original evidence from a specific time period or event, crucial for historical research.
What is another word for primary source?
In the study of history as an academic discipline, a primary source (also called an original source) is an artifact, document, diary, manuscript, autobiography, recording, or any other source of information that was created at the time under study.
What words can I use instead of "primary"?
A primary synonym is a word that means essentially the same thing as "primary," with top choices being main, chief, fundamental, principal, leading, essential, key, basic, and first, all conveying ideas of being first in importance, time, or order, or being the core part of something.
What is not considered primary research?
Primary Research: Involves the collection of original data specific to a research project, aiming to produce new knowledge. Secondary Research: Involves the summary or synthesis of data and literature that others have published, often used to review existing knowledge.