shorthuman :
I wouldn't say that I agree with the implication that the primary source is always the one to be trusted and secondary sources are not. To use this "event" that happened in your hometown. The creators of the "primary sources" (the victims/witnesses) will say the most crazy things, will make things up, will presume things, will fail to see certain things or misremember then. (Especially in cases of extreme trauma) Yes, they are direct witnesses and maybe even victims, but that doesn't mean that they have a complete understanding of the event that they were part of. Yes, someone might write something in their autobiography, but it doesn't make it reliable info. However a researcher or a journalist is taking multiple primary sources - documents, diaries, samples, interviews different people, hires specialists to study physical objects related to the event etc. will write a textbook or an article or documentary, giving a more nuanced understanding of the issue at hand. Yes, any secondary source will be biased and will be presenting an interpretation of the reality. But so is the case for primary sources crested by humans with the purpose of documentation. (Obviously not talking about physical sources or actual raw data sets)
2026-06-16 22:52:25