These items are typically written/recorded at the time of the event by a person who experienced it. They can also include personal memoirs or oral histories that are published after the event.
Anything that contains original information on a topic is considered a primary source. Usually, primary sources are the objects discussed in your paper. For example, if you are writing an analysis of Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle, the book would be a primary source.
Examples include:
letters, diaries, or personal journals
original photographs
speeches, autobiographies, or memoirs
creative works (plays, paintings, songs...)
research data and surveys
These often include an analysis of the event discussed or featured in the primary source. They are second-hand accounts that interpret or draw conclusions from one or more primary sources.
Examples include:
biographies
essays or literature reviews
criticisms or commentaries
scholarly articles that analyze or discuss events and ideas
historical studies
Tertiary resources often contain both primary and secondary sources. Information is presented as factual and does not include analysis or critique.
Examples include:
encyclopedias
almanacs
textbooks
handbooks
They cover news and current events in a field, profiles of people or places, and political opinions. These articles use language easily understood by general readers and tend to be shorter in length than scholarly journal articles.
Examples include:
The New York Times
Time
Psychology Today
People
Consumer Reports
People who write for academic journals are employed by colleges, universities, or other institutions of education or research. They submit articles to the editors of the journals, who decide whether or not to publish the article.
The most prestigious academic journals utilize the peer-review process. This means that, before an article is accepted for publication, it is reviewed by several experts in the field, who suggest possible changes, check the facts, and recommend to the editor of the journal whether or not to publish the article.
These articles tend to use scholarly or technical language and include full citations for sources. The best way to find articles from academic journals is to use library databases.
Examples include:
Journal of the American Medical Association
New England Journal of Medicine
Nature
American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education
However, articles in trade and professional journals cover news in the field, brief reports on research, and opinions about trends and events.
Examples include:
American Libraries
AdWeek
Drug Store News