Question
Differentiate between Primary, Secondary and tertiary source of information.

Answer

Basis
Primary Source of Information
Secondary Source of Information
Tertiary Source of Information
Meaning
Primary sources are original materials collected from the time period involved and have not been filtered through interpretation or valuation. They present original thinking, report a discovery, or share new information.
It refers to all those information collected through original information, and after that further modified, selected or rearranged for a specific purpose or objectives. It is also called as an interpretations and evaluations of primary sources.
It refers to all those information which is a distillation and collection of primary and secondary sources.
Information
The data is collected by the investigator himself/ herself, for the first time. They present first hand accounts and information relevant to an event.
One that was created by someone who did not have first hand experience or did not participate in the events/ situations being researched.
It may be second hand or third hand and not considered to be acceptable material on which to base academic research are usually not credited to a particular author.
Description
The information is described its original form, not interpreted, condensed or valuated any other people.
It describes, analyse, interpret, evaluate, comment on and discuss the evidence given by primary sources.
Are intended Only to describe and provide an overview of what the topic includes, its basic terminology, and often references for further reading.
Evidence
They are usually evidence accounts of the events, practices being researched and created by a person.
It is not in the form of original evidence but modified one.
It is not considered as form of original evidence but further distilled one.
Methods of Collection:
(i) Direct personal investigation.
(ii) Indirect oral investigation.
(iii) Local correspondents.
(iv) Mailed questionnaire.
(v) Questionnaire through enumerators.
(i) Published: Government publications, International Publications, Reports of Committees and trade Association Publications of Personnel Investigation.
(ii) Unpublished: Not published and but sometime available in office records.
(i) Published: Government Publication or non government institutions.
(ii) Unpublished: Internet.
Examples
  • Autobiographies.
  • Correspondence: email, letters.
  • Travelogues.
  • Biographies, Encyclopedia, dictionaries, handbooks.
  • Textbooks and monographs on a topic Literary criticism and interpretation.
  • Chronologies.
  • Classification.
  • Dictionaries.

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