Historical Research

What is a secondary source

In the context of history, a secondary source is a work that interprets, analyses, or comments on past events by drawing on primary sources such as letters, official records, photographs, or firsthand accounts.

Secondary sources are created by scholars or writers who did not experience the events directly. They aim to explain what happened, why it happened, and what it means, often using a combination of sources and scholarly methods to construct a historical narrative or argument.

These sources are typically found in books, journal articles, essays, documentaries, and academic lectures.

Why use secondary sources

Secondary sources are essential for gaining insight into the interpretations and debates that surround historical events. They help you:

• Understand the broader context of a historical moment

• Explore how different historians have interpreted the same events over time

• Identify historiographical trends (how the writing of history has changed)

• Build on previous scholarship to form your own research questions or arguments

In short, secondary sources help you join the ongoing conversation among historians and provide the background needed to make your work more informed and credible.

Examples of secondary sources

Common types of secondary sources in historical research include:

• History books or monographs that interpret and analyse primary evidence

• Journal articles discussing historical events, figures, or periods

• Biographies (when written after the subject’s life and based on research)

• Documentaries that synthesise historical information

• Book reviews and essays that critique other historians' work

• Podcasts or lectures given by historians on a specific topic

Difference between primary and secondary

The line between primary and secondary sources isn’t fixed—it depends on how you use the source in your research.

For example, a Australian school textbook in the 1980s on Australian Aboriginal history is a secondary source if you're studying Australian history and colonisation. However, if you're researching how colonisation and Aboriginal History was taught in Australian schools in the 1980s, that same textbook becomes a primary source, providing direct evidence of educational practices and awareness of the impact of colonisation and Aboriginal identity at that time. Always consider your research question as the same source can serve different roles depending on your focus.