Where Our Ideas Come From
Sometimes, we create ideas. It comes from our own creativity.
- “Once upon a time, there was a toaster named Tony. This toaster had the power to create cheese and jam.”
Most of our ideas are learned from others.
- Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.
- Victoria is the capital of British Columbia.
Primary Sources
A primary source is a direct report of something. It might include:
- A paper reporting the results of a study
- Someone’s direct account of events
- Recordings, letters, journals, and other artifacts
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Pros |
Cons |
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There is a direct reporting of the information, so it can be more reliable
They include a lot of information They are often preferred in academic research |
They can be more challenging to interpret, especially if they use jargon or other field-specific terminology
There can be a lot of information to sift through
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Secondary Sources
A secondary source will quote or use information from the primary source. They are a step removed and didn’t act as direct witnesses/recordings of the event, and they often include interpretations of the information to build greater meaning or understanding. These might include:
- A meta-study/meta-analysis of several papers
- A literature review
- Biographies
- Newspaper editorials
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Pros |
Cons |
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There is often interpretation to help make it easier to see trends or the bigger picture
They can be easier to read if they use simplified language
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They can be more subjective and could also misinterpret the findings of the original study
Some research does not allow secondary sources |
Tertiary Sources
A tertiary source acts as a repository of primary and secondary sources. This type of source cites both primary and secondary sources. These sources might include:
- bibliographies
- encyclopedias
- Wikis
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Pros |
Cons |
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They make it easy to find primary and secondary studies establishing basic ideas |
They are almost never used as a source in research, especially if they are easy to change, such as Wikis
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