which of the following is an example of a primary source?
A primary source is any firsthand or original record created at the time of an event or by someone with direct experience of it.
What counts as a primary source?
Common examples of primary sources include:
- Diary or journal written by a person living through the event
- Letter or email between people discussing something as it happens
- Original photograph or video recording of an event
- Government document created at the time (laws, census records, treaties)
- Research article reporting original experiment results or data
- Autobiography or memoir by the person who experienced the events
- Speech text written and delivered by the speaker
How to spot the right option
When you see a multiple-choice question asking “Which of the following is an example of a primary source?”, look for the option that:
- Was created during the time being studied or by a direct participant
- Gives firsthand evidence, not a later summary or interpretation
- Reports original data, observations, or experiences
By contrast, textbook chapters, encyclopedia articles, and most biographies are secondary sources because they interpret or analyze primary materials.
Quick mental checklist
Ask these questions about each option:
- Was the creator present at the event or directly involved?
- Is this the first publication or record of these observations or data?
- Is someone analyzing or explaining something that already happened?
If the answer to 1 and 2 is “yes” and there is no added interpretation, you are almost certainly looking at a primary source.
TL;DR: In most test questions, the primary source option will be something like “a soldier’s diary from World War I” or “the original research article reporting the experiment’s results,” not a textbook or article that talks about them later.
