What Are Secondary Sources?
A secondary source is a work that interprets or analyzes an historical event or phenomenon. It is generally at least one step removed from the event (usually not written by someone as an eyewitness account of the event). A recent article that evaluates and analyzes the relationship between the feminist movement and the labor movement in turn-of-the-century England is an example of a secondary source; if you were to look at the bibliography of this article you would see that the authors research was based on both primary sources such as labor union documents, speeches and personal letters as well as other secondary sources. Textbooks and encyclopedias are also examples of secondary sources.
Examples:
| Primary Source (evidence) | Secondary Source (interpretation) |
| WWI letters from a US soldier | Book on the U S Army in WWI |
| Diary of 1960s antiwar protestor | Article on 1960s anti-war protests at colleges |
| Photos of Alaskan glaciers in 1900 | Thesis on glacial changes in Alaska |