Primary source

Quick Facts: Who was Primary source?

Subject:

Primary source

Known for:

An original artifact or document created at the time period being studied.

Verified Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

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. It serves as an original source of information about the topic. Similar definitions can be used in library science and other areas of scholarship, although different fields have somewhat different definitions.

Career & Major Achievements

In journalism, a primary source can be a person with direct knowledge of a situation, or a document written by such a person. Primary sources are distinguished from secondary sources, which interpret, analyze, or otherwise comment on primary sources. Generally, accounts written after the fact with the benefit of hindsight are secondary.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

A secondary source may also be a primary source depending on how it is used. For example, a memoir is a primary source when it is used to study its author's life or personal relationships, but the same text becomes a secondary source if it is used to investigate broader cultural or social conditions.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Primary source

True or False: “Is a modern memoir always considered a primary source when studying broader social conditions?”

Answer (FALSE ❌): No, a memoir can become a secondary source if the investigation focuses on broad cultural or social conditions rather than the author's personal life.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Primavera Sound — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: Annual music festival in Barcelona, showcasing diverse global genres.
• Primera Junta — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: The first provisional government of the Río de la Plata, marking Argentina's initial steps toward self-rule.
• Primetime Emmy Award — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: The premier American television award recognizing excellence in primetime programming.
• Primo Levi — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: Jewish Italian chemist, Holocaust survivor, and profound author of human experience.
• Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: Husband of Queen Victoria and influential reformer of the British Empire.
• Prince-Bishopric of Liège — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: A powerful ecclesiastical state within the Holy Roman Empire, centered in modern Belgium.

Frequently Asked Questions about Primary source