Sources can be classified based on two essential criteria: origin and reliability.
Depending on their origin
This distinction informs the researcher how to use data or original/second hand information.
- Primary sources: they are original and are produced from the event to which they refer to. The information that they offer is always first hand, like journals, memories, correspondences, etc.
- Secondary sources: it refers to documents related to information originated in other places or times. Secondary sources usually make use of generalizations, analysis, interpretations and critiques of events that had place in the past. Examples of this type of sources could be books, texts, articles, etc.
Depending on reliability
It’s about knowing if the source is reliable or not, so the information must be verified before using or spreading it.
- Reliable sources: are those that identify the source, give evidence and observable data, offering authorship and exact date content. All reliable content cites the source of information, the authors, institutions, entities, and bibliography and reports that support it.
- Unreliable sources: it refers to false information created intentionally to damage or cause prejudices. Fake news or hoaxes, are ways to spread deceitful news deliberately. To do so, they take a biased sample of documents, decontextualize data or discredit expert sources.
Here you have a brief explanation to introduce the study of this topic:
In order to applicate and go deep into the competence of distinguishing between reliable sources and non, we propose:
