Information from Various Sources

In your notebook, copy the statements below. Assess yourself as to how you personally deal with information you encounter.
Place a check (/) in every statement that applies to you.
Identify if the given item is a primary, secondary, or tertiary source.
Write your answers in your notebook.

_____1. encyclopedia _____6. History of Tayabas

_____2. interview with a politician _____7. court hearing
_____3. State of the Nation Address _____8. references
_____4. indices _____9. EDSA People Power picture
_____5. bibliography _____10. biography
SOURCES OF INFORMATION

There are various sources of information that

you may use in finding significant details and
data that can be used in your daily life. Sources
of information may be classified as to primary,
secondary, and tertiary sources. The context of
information presented in a source is helpful in
classifying information.
Primary Sources

Sources of information are classified as primary if they are

authentic and have not been subjected to evaluation or
assessment. These report discoveries, sharing of information
and are first-hand. These are information written at a certain
time or period of research. Definition of primary sources vary
depending on the contexts and/or disciplines.

Examples:
speeches video recordings photographs
government records communication newspaper/magazine
portraying information from eyewitnesses
 Primary Source
• Diaries and journals
• Diaries and journals
• Example: Anne Frank was a teenager during World War
II. She kept a diary or journal the years before she died
in a concentration camp. Her diary was later published
as the “Diary of Anne Frank”. This is a primary source.
• Example: Sarah Morgan was young woman during the
Civil War. She wrote in her diary or journal what
happened to her and her family during the war. This is a
primary document because it was first hand. She wrote
it at the time it happened.
• Sarah Morgan Dawson: A Confederate Girl's Diary
 Primary Source

• Autobiographies
• An autobiography is when you write a
story or book about yourself.
• Example: Nelson Mandela wrote his
autobiography about events in his life called
“Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography
of Nelson Mandela. This is a primary
document because he wrote his first hand
experiences.
 Primary Source
• Historical documents such as the Declaration of
Independence or the Constitution are primary
documents. They were drafted and signed.
• Other Primary Sources would be
• Birth Certificates
• Government records
• Deeds
• Court documents
• Military records
• Tax records
• Census records
• Art
 Primary Source

• Letters are considered

primary documents.
▫ Example: Soldiers during wars
wrote to their families about
war events they experienced.
Those letters are considered
primary sources.
Secondary Sources

Secondary sources provide information, discussion, and/or

interpretation of the evidence. These are usually evaluations of
primary sources. These are also information written by authors
who do not personally witness the event or action. Definition of
secondary sources vary depending on the contexts and/or
disciplines.

Examples:
commentaries critiques evaluations history
journals/magazines (not portraying information from eyewitnesses)
 Secondary Source

• Biography
• Example: A biography is when
you write about another
person’s life. Alice Fleming
wrote a biography on the life of
Martin Luther King Jr. This is a
secondary document. It was
written about him after he died.
 Primary or Secondary Sources?

• Newspaper and Magazine articles can be a primary

or secondary sources.
• If the article was written at the time something
happened, then it is a primary source.
• Example: The articles written on Barack Obama’s
inauguration in 2009 are primary sources.
• However, if a reporter in 2009 wrote about
George Washington’s inauguration using
information written by someone else (1789), that
would be a secondary source.
Tertiary Sources
Tertiary sources serve as collection of primary and
secondary sources.

Examples:
bibliographies directories dictionary almanac
abstracts indexes encyclopedias
databases
In using the information gathered whether they are primary, secondary, or
tertiary sources, take note of these six (6) characteristics that information should
have.

1. Accuracy. Information should be reliable, useful, free from flaws, and of high
quality.
2. Completeness. Information should provide all needed details. It should be able to
answer the wh– questions (what, who, when, where, why, and how).
3. Timeliness. Information should be up-to-date.
4. Consistency. Information should be consistent for it to be considered accurate
and useful.
5. Relevance. Information should suit the demand, needs and interests of the
readers.
6. Uniqueness. Information should be distinct.
PRIMARY SOURCES SECONDARY SOURCES

SIMILARITIES