What statement best distinguishes primary sources from secondary sources?

What statement best distinguishes primary sources from secondary sources?

• A. Primary sources are the original artifacts; secondary sources analyze them.
• B. Primary sources are the published articles; secondary sources are diaries.
• C. Primary sources are editorials that summarize events.
• D. Primary sources are the opinions of readers about the work.

Answer: (A)

The key idea is telling apart original evidence from analysis. Primary sources are the original artifacts or firsthand accounts created at the time or by someone with direct involvement in the event. They give direct access to the subject without interpretation. Examples include diaries, letters, photos, official records, and original research data. Secondary sources, on the other hand, interpret, summarize, or critique those primary sources, placing them in context or drawing conclusions from them—like review articles, textbooks, or documentary analyses. This is why the statement that best distinguishes them is that primary sources are the original artifacts, while secondary sources analyze them. Diaries, for instance, are primary sources, not secondary; editorials are often interpretive and thus secondary; and the opinions of readers about a work are commentary, not the direct evidence itself.

The key idea is telling apart original evidence from analysis. Primary sources are the original artifacts or firsthand accounts created at the time or by someone with direct involvement in the event. They give direct access to the subject without interpretation. Examples include diaries, letters, photos, official records, and original research data. Secondary sources, on the other hand, interpret, summarize, or critique those primary sources, placing them in context or drawing conclusions from them—like review articles, textbooks, or documentary analyses.

This is why the statement that best distinguishes them is that primary sources are the original artifacts, while secondary sources analyze them. Diaries, for instance, are primary sources, not secondary; editorials are often interpretive and thus secondary; and the opinions of readers about a work are commentary, not the direct evidence itself.