Primary, Secondary, Tertiary Sources

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Researchers build on the work of others in order to reach out toward new and original information. If they didn't they would have to re-invent the wheel every time a new project is started. Civilizations would never get very far in their knowledge base if every thing had to be relearned and reproved. So, what kind of sources are available to me as I build upon the strengths of others who know more than I do right now about slaves and ukeleles and music?

www.creativecranes.com
This wheel is a primary source if you have
it in your hand, or saw it in person.
This PICTURE you see of a wheel
is a secondary source because it represents
the actual wheel.

Primary sources are the first-hand pieces of knowledge that are the most reliable, and therefore trustworthy. These are eyewitness accounts and artifacts such as diaries, in-the-moment videos, live plays, interviews, original documents, pottery, paintings, tools, an autobiography, and even handwritten notes. Having lived in Connecticut and seen Dr. Uke play at one time sets him up as one of my primary sources.

A secondary source is second-hand knowledge. This is information once-removed from the original source. Examples of secondary sources would be a newspaper report about an event, a biography, a review about a play or movie, copies of original documents, or pictures of pottery or paintings. The fact that I can access recordings of his songs and lyric pages online means I have secondary sources of his work.

Tertiary sources are lists of secondary and primary sources, like a manual or a sales catalog.  Dr. Uke's catalog of ukelele links for books, ukelelists, and further resources is a tertiary source for my project.

www.enkei.com
This catalog of types of wheels is a tertiary source.
It lists wheels by type, size, and manufacturer.
It is a resource that lists other sources in one place.