Without sources, we wouldn’t have the information we’ve used to build our society. However, the importance of using those sources with integrity is what has allowed us to grow and thrive in various cultures. When a researcher cites a source, the reader is able to assume that the information derived from the text or claim is legitimate because that’s what the principles of academics have been built on for millennia.

This principle does end up muddied occasionally when there aren’t enough credible sources to support a claim. It’s not always intentional: Claims about ancient societies have their roots in the information that can’t be authenticated. Historians do the best they can to cross-reference anything they come across, but even with the best efforts, theories are occasionally disputed when new evidence is unearthed.

Primary and Secondary Sources

This is the reason why the distinctions between primary and secondary sources are important. A primary source often has more power than a secondary source, and the further removed the source is from the claim, the less reputability it must be given.

Any research conducted in the social sciences, history/humanities, and natural science will use primary and secondary materials. The difference is whether the author of the material witnessed the claim firsthand, or is removed from the event. How far a degree of removal is also important. Are they recording the events as told from a primary source, or do they have their own opinions of what happened based on someone else’s thoughts (secondhand)?

Primary sources are written by someone who went through the event or witnessed it. They’re original documents, such as diaries, journals, memoirs, letters, or interviews. Typically, these works aren’t published for an audience, but they can be included in a newspaper or magazine article in a timely manner. They can also be images such as photographs or drawings, video and audio recordings, or other original works.

Secondary sources are also vital as research material. We use them to interpret primary sources and analyze the events further. Secondary sources help a researcher to draw conclusions about the event and people in question. These sources can solidify a theory, or cast doubt upon the validity of a primary source’s claim.

Knowing When to Use Each Source

Any source can be valid or invalid, and it’s the job of the researcher to question the legitimacy before choosing to use the information in the material. This couldn’t be made more clear than by picturing an alien society visiting an empty Earth 100 years from now, and using today’s filtered images to judge what humans looked like in the 21st century. The conclusion they’d get is far removed from reality, and we must approach any resource in the same judgmental way.

Knowing when to use each source can be determined by asking yourself basic questions, such as how the author could possibly know the details they claim. Were they at the scene during, right after, or soon after the event? Did they have personal experience, or were they repeating an eyewitness’s account? Were they repeating something they read that another person wrote?

From there, try to correlate the conclusions with other pieces of evidence. Does this material line up with what you know of the event?

This critical assessment of any source material is what keeps academic research integrity alive and well. We can’t always verify the accuracy of something that happened years ago, but we can do our part to ensure we’re using the critical judgment of the sources of information in our current work.

Connect With Other Scholars for Critical Assessment With Impactio

To ensure you’re not missing something in your evaluation of a resource, why not team up with other experts in the field? When you connect with others who have more experience in the subject you’re researching, it always adds value to your work. Impactio is the platform that gives academic professionals the opportunity to connect in real-time. 

With Impactio, America’s leading platform for scientific networking, researchers can interact with funders, scholars, and PhD students to expand their knowledge base. Putting together a team to work on your next project gives you the benefit of other bright minds, their backgrounds, and the various sources they have at their disposal. Increase your exposure to primary and secondary sources in your research by boosting your scientific connections with Impactio.