For this tutorial, we are focusing on secondary sources, as they are the types of sources you will more often need to evaluate both in life and in your academic career. But you have to understand what they are in order to evaluate them. The graphic below explains the difference.
For more detailed information on primary versus secondary sources, check out our self-guided research tutorial.
Note: You still need to evaluate, or think critically about, primary sources, but not necessarily in the same way you do secondary sources. For example, your knowledge of history can help you determine whether a diary entry is accurate.
