explain the differnce between a primary and secondry source
Ger@ldine Tue 13/05/08 20:43
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A primary source is from someone who was there.
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A primary source is a document that is original and can be regarded as being authentic, a secondary source is an index to that document, or an account of the content of the document.
For example, the Quarter Session Records are a primary source for looking at the history of the judicial system in this country.
The source contains a multitude of papers that were written during the sessions and they record in detail the actual events.
However, the account of the sessions written in a local newspaper and published within days, is a secondary source.
A book written about the History of the quarter sessions would be a secondary source for looking at the type of cases that were heard or the type of senetences passed, and any facsimile copies of the session papers used in the book would potentiallt be a primary source because they are authentic documents, though copied.
The census returns are a primary source if you look at the original filmed enumerators books, but if you look at the transcribed copies online, then you are looking at a secondary source, though it should be the same information. It is the transcription and secondary source that can produce transcription errors, but the primary source of the enemerators books can contain inaccuracies, but they are from the primary source and should therefore be transcribed as found, not changed for the secondary source
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Another example would be.. ( in relation to law)
Legislation, ie black letter law.. ( the Human Rights Act or the defamation act )
Secondary , would be someone, an author maybe, quoting that legislation in a textbook or article.
J x
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