Which statement correctly describes a difference between primary and secondary sources?

Which statement correctly describes a difference between primary and secondary sources?

• A. Primary sources interpret events; secondary sources are original records.
• B. Primary sources are always biased; secondary sources are neutral.
• C. Primary sources provide first-hand information from the time of an event; secondary sources summarize or interpret those records.
• D. Secondary sources are the original documents created during the event.

Answer: (C)

Understanding the difference between primary and secondary sources hinges on origin and purpose: primary sources are first-hand records created during the event or by someone directly involved; secondary sources come afterward and interpret, analyze, or summarize those original records. A diary from a historical event is a primary source, while a history book that discusses that diary and places it in context is a secondary source. This is why the statement that primary sources provide first-hand information from the time of an event and secondary sources summarize or interpret those records is the best description. Bias can appear in both kinds, but bias isn’t what defines the difference; the key distinction is original, contemporaneous evidence versus later analysis of that evidence. The other statements mix up roles—primary sources aren’t just original documents created during the event that others interpret, and secondary sources aren’t the original documents themselves.