primary source
noun
plural primary sources
information science
: an account or record (such as a first-hand account, a contemporaneous news report, a photograph, or an audio or video recording) reflecting direct experience of a thing (such as a historical event) that is being researched or studied
Primary sources are the raw materials of history—original documents and objects that were created at the time under study. They are different from secondary sources, accounts that retell, analyze, or interpret events, usually at a distance of time or place.—
Library of Congress
Library of CongressPrimary sources include birth certificates, photographs, diaries, letters, embroidered samplers, clothing, household implements, and newspapers.—Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian InstitutionDictionary Entries Near primary source
Cite this Entry
“Primary source.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/primary%20source. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.
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