Most major research projects will include both primary and secondary resources. A description and examples of primary and secondary sources are listed below:
Primary | Secondary |
Primary sources reveal information about the production and performance of music, aural traditions, histories of musical composition, notation, and technique, information about music theory and about individuals' and cultures' technological advancement, economy, education, cognition, and more. Danielle Loftus (2012) Examples of primary sources:
|
Secondary sources offer an analysis or a restatement of primary sources. They often attempt to describe or explain primary sources. Some secondary sources not only analyze primary sources, but use them to argue a contention or to persuade the reader to hold a certain opinion. Danielle Loftus (2012) Examples of secondary sources:
|