Frequently Asked Questions about newspaper articles as primary source
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Yes, a newspaper article is generally a primary source. However, this is only true for newspaper articles that are used for historical research. This is because newspaper articles, written about a specific event immediately after its occurrence, can be viewed as primary sources. However, it is important to ask a number of questions about the article itself before you decide to include it in your research as a primary source. Read on below to learn what these questions are, and why it is important to ask them.
Newspaper articles are great starting points for research, and can sometimes be invaluable vaults of information, but when you want to use a newspaper article in your paper, you need to know why. Many people assume that newspaper articles are always primary sources, but it's important to ask yourself some questions about the article before you include it in your research.
Who wrote the article? An expert, a journalist, an eyewitness to an event?
Why was the article written? In response to a current event, to spread news, to share an opinion?
When was the article published? Was the article published before or after the event it discusses?
When is a newspaper article a primary source?
This very much depends on the answers to the questions above. These answers are the basis of your decision on whether or not the content is original, an analysis, or an opinion. If you come to the conclusion that the content is original, then, yes, the article qualifies as a primary source. If the article is a feature about a new innovation in technology or a current trend, then it is a secondary source. The same goes for interviews since they will likely have been edited.
➡️What is the difference between primary and secondary sources?
➡️Is an interview a primary source?
Articles written and included in daily newspapers, before the internet, were the latest and most up-to-date reports of events. Often, there was a morning and an evening edition of a daily, and as such, these are often regarded as primary sources.
Tip: Always remember that a newspaper is put together by an editor, and the editor can cut and paste articles in a particular order and in a particular way to fit the editorial style they are looking for.
The citation style used will determine the exact citation format. This is how you would cite a newspaper article from the New York Times print version in APA:
Belluck, P. (2018, July 26). Promising Alzheimer’s drug attacks brain changes and symptoms. New York Times, A1.
Instead of worrying about the correct format of your citation in any given citation style, you can use a reference manager like Paperpile to generate your citation automatically and correctly for you.
Collect your sources and keep them tidily organized in your Paperpile library. Switch between thousands of citation styles and cite your references directly in Google Docs, Microsoft Word, and LaTeX:
Frequently Asked Questions about newspaper articles as primary source
📰 Is a newspaper article about 9/11 a secondary source?
If the article's content is original and/or a first-hand account of 9/11, then it is a primary source. If the article describes 9/11 as a past event, then it's a secondary source.
🆕 Is a New York Times article a primary source?
Yes, in most cases. A New York Times article is a primary source only when the content is original or a first-hand account of an event. If the article describes past events or an interview, then it's a secondary source.
🗞️ Is a Wall Street Journal article a primary source?
Yes, in most cases. A Wall Street Journal article is a primary source only when the content is original or a first-hand account of an event. If the article describes past events or an interview, then it's a secondary source.
👓 Is a Washington Post article a primary source?
Yes, in most cases. A Washington Post article is a primary source only when the content is original or a first-hand account of an event. If the article describes past events or an interview, then it's a secondary source.
🔎 Is a newspaper article a secondary source?
Some newspaper articles are secondary sources. If the article describes past events or an interview, then it's a secondary source.
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If you come to the conclusion that the content is original, then, yes, the article qualifies as a primary source
source
In journalism, a source is a person, publication, or knowledge of other record or document that gives timely information. Outside journalism, sources are sometimes known as "news sources".
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Source_(journalism)
Depending on the content, newspaper articles can be either primary or secondary sources; articles that contain reporting of current events are considered primary, while articles that provide analysis of events that happened in the past are considered secondary.
It depends. If the article is a first-hand account of an event directly observed by the journalist writing the article it is a primary source. If however the article is referring to a piece of research that has been published (for example), it is a secondary source.
A newspaper article from the time an event happened, for example, an article during the Civil War, would be considered primary, but a newspaper article written today about the Civil War would not.
The most significant difference between two different types of sources is that primary sources gives direct access to the subject of the research, while secondary sources provide second-hand information and commentary from other researchers.
In the natural and social sciences, the results of an experiment or study are typically found in scholarly articles or papers delivered at conferences, so those articles and papers that present the original results are considered primary sources. A secondary source is something written about a primary source.
Primary sources can include: Texts of laws and other original documents. Newspaper reports, by reporters who witnessed an event or who quote people who did. Speeches, diaries, letters and interviews - what the people involved said or wrote.
Examples of primary sources: Diaries, letters, memoirs, autobiographies. Interviews, speeches, oral histories, personal narratives. Scientific data and reports.
For example, newspaper articles can be both primary and secondary sources. A newspaper article that recounts the events of the Battle of Gettysburg would be a primary source if it was printed in July of 1863, which is when the battle occurred.
To determine if a source is primary or secondary, ask yourself: Was the source created by someone directly involved in the events you're studying (primary), or by another researcher (secondary)?
Some examples of secondary sources are: Literature Reviews - authors summarize and evaluate previous research that has been done on a topic. Review articles - authors form conclusions by analyzing and discussing multiple primary research studies. (These are often peer reviewed)
Secondary sources provide second-hand information and commentary from other researchers. Examples include journal articles, reviews, and academic books. Thus, secondary research describes, interprets, or synthesizes primary sources.
Secondary sources were created by someone who did not experience first-hand or participate in the events or conditions you're researching. For a historical research project, secondary sources are generally scholarly books and articles.
A Primary Source is information that was created at the same time as an event or by a person directly involved in the event. Diaries, speeches, letters, official records, autobiographies. A Secondary Source gets its information from somewhere else or by a person not directly involved in the event.
In journalism, a source is a person, publication, or knowledge of other record or document that gives timely information. Outside journalism, sources are sometimes known as "news sources".
Simply put, secondary sources build upon primary sources through analysis and interpretation. Here are a few examples of secondary sources: An editorial column or blog post. A newspaper, newsletter, or magazine article.
Introduction: My name is Barbera Armstrong, I am a lovely, delightful, cooperative, funny, enchanting, vivacious, tender person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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