Brundage Chapter 2

There are two types of sources that historians use in their research, primary and secondary sources. Primary sources can be in the form of manuscript sources, which are not intended for public view, and published sources. Published sources can include letters, diaries, newspapers, and autobiographies.

Secondary sources are written histories based on primary sources and come in many forms. Books, one of the most popular forms of source, cover a wide array of historical information from very broad down to very narrow historical context. Essays, which are shorter than books, also can cover a wide array of historical topics. Articles are typically published in periodicals and can give historians ideas on new perspectives. Dissertations and Conference Papers are also available as secondary sources, and are typically narrow in topic content.

How can you tell if a particular primary source is authentic and not something that was just made up?