Advanced Placement (AP) English Language and Composition Practice Exam

Primary sources are defined as original documents or firsthand accounts that provide direct evidence or firsthand testimony regarding a topic or event. These sources are created at the time the event occurs or are produced by individuals who have experienced the event directly. Examples include diaries, letters, official documents, photographs, interviews, and artifacts. They are invaluable for researchers because they allow for a direct engagement with the subject matter, offering insights and perspectives that secondary sources, which interpret or analyze these original materials, cannot provide.

In contrast, secondary interpretations of events, summaries of research findings, and data collected from surveys, while valuable for building on knowledge and understanding, do not qualify as primary sources because they do not provide the original evidence or firsthand experience related to the events in question. Thus, recognizing the distinction between these categories is essential for effective research and analysis.