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illustrate, consider a researcher exploring the underlying
factors behind the Indo-Pak War; in this scenario, a recently
released documentary discussing the war would typically be
considered a secondary source. However, if the researcher's
Significance of objective lies in examining the filmmaking techniques
research question employed in historical war documentaries, then the same
in defining documentary would now be deemed a primary source. But we
secondary source
have to remember that the documentary becomes secondary
source when we analyse the factors that lead to the Indo-
Pak war and the source documentary assumes the status of
primary source when our research focus is not exactly war,
but the techniques-artistic, cinematographic- employed by
documentary director/script writer.

Table 1.4.1 Examples for Primary and Secondary sources

Subject Primary source Secondary Source

Articles critiquing the art,
Art Original artwork Theories in artwork, Multiple
representations of the art work.

Articles critiquing the work,
Poems, Novels, Short Its adaptations, Different types
Literature
stories of its representations, Theories
based on research questions

Journal articles relating the
Natural Science
(Physics, Chemistry, Details of an original work, Review of different
experiment
types of studies on the same
Biology…)
topic
Government Economic
Reports, Financial Economic- journals, books,
Economics
Statements, Economic commentaries, databases
Census Data

Sociological - journals, books,
Ethnographic Studies,
Sociology Social Surveys, Case Meta-Analyses (Systematic
Studies reviews and analyses of
existing sociological research)

Market Research Reports,
Business Newspapers
Commerce Sales Records, Trade Data
and Magazines, Business
Databases

SGOU - SLM - Foundational Skills for Research and Writing 83