User:Vassyana/NOR 003

Primary and secondary sources are broadly defined here for the purposes of explaining how to avoid engaging in original research by identifying references articles should principally rely on, and how references have a tendency to be misused in original research.


 * Primary sources are generally sources of raw facts, historical items and/or are close to the subject; these are the materials most commonly used for original research by scholars. References from questionable, historical and "raw" sources are examples of primary sources. A secondary source may sometimes be treated as a primary source. The use of these raw, first-hand, and/or out-of-date sources can lead editors to engage in original research, and thus they should be used with caution.

Articles should usually rely on reliable secondary sources, but some occasions and exceptions (such as WP:SELFPUB) when primary sources may prove useful. Also, there is a broad consensus for widespread use of some primary sources, such as using census data in articles on populated places and citing interviews as direct sources of a subject's self-identification, opinions and statements. Article claims that rely on a primary source should (1) only report the content of the source, the accuracy of which is easily verifiable by any reasonable, educated person without specialist knowledge, and (2) make no analytic, synthetic, interpretive, explanatory, or evaluative claims that are not explicitly attributed in-text to the source. Contributors drawing on primary sources should be careful to comply with both conditions.


 * Secondary sources draw on research and references to make interpretive, analytical, or synthetic claims, or create a general overview. Reliable secondary sources are written purposefully to inform about the subject they are being cited for, and released by a publisher with a reputation for fact-checking and accuracy. Secondary sources are usually preferable because they generally provide analysis, offer a more independent view and provide a broader context for the subject. Care should be taken to avoid undue weight and ensure the information cited is used in context. Secondary sources may be biased by the views of its author(s) and/or publisher, so caution is required to preserve the neutral point of view. Review articles and references providing a broad treatment, such as university-level textbooks, are useful in summarizing large bodies of literature and research. Since Wikipedia summarizes broad knowledge on topics, they are useful for avoiding original synthesis and undue weight.

Claims reported in an article must be verifiable in the references cited. Claims should not rely on unclear, incongruent, or passing comments, even if the source is generally reliable. Claims left open to interpretation should be precisely cited or avoided. Drawing conclusions not stated in the reference, or extrapolating a position from the claims in a source, is original research regardless of the type of source. Claims based on statements and sections from reliable sources directly dealing with the central topic of the work are preferred. Reporting information from sections that present an extended argument with a conclusion strongly consistent with the argument is encouraged. It is important that reliable references are cited in context and on topic.