1. Think of primary sources as original materials and observations. They are information sources that are close to an event, individual, or time period. Examples include diaries, letters, works of literature, original documents like a patent or an invention, a birth certificate, a scientific journal reporting original research, an interview, a speech, a painting, a treaty, raw data, a film, a novel, an autobiography, a survey, a blog, an email, a discussion thread, minutes to a meeting, a survey, etc.

2. Secondary sources, on the other hand, review, comment, edit, interpret, analyze or summarize primary sources. The information has been created after an event and comment on the event or the original work itself. Be sure to examine secondary sources to ensure that the information is reliable and credible.