Primary, secondary, and tertiary sources[edit]

All articles should rely on reliable, third-party published sources with a reputation for fact-checking and accuracy.WP:SourcesThough
we may report the attributed opinions of reliable authors, articles should never include the opinions of Wikipedians themselves,
even if you are an expert who has read any number of primary, secondary, or tertiary sources.

Your opinions and interpretations do not belong in an article. But it is appropriate to document interpretations of events, data, or
opinions, as published in reliable secondary source material. Peer-reviewed sources are especially valued. Whilesecondary
source material is most preferred, primary sources may also be used to report factual material provided the contributing editor
states the fact in a manner that does not present an interpretation of the fact (original research) which is not itself explicitly
contained in the primary source.

The question of whether source material is secondary or primary should not, however, become a focal point for edit warring.
Proper classification of sources can be complex because different definitions apply in different fields of knowledge. In addition, a
single source may contain both primary and secondary material. For example, a peer-reviewed science article including original
findings may include a scatter plot of data points and a cross-sectional x-ray (primary material), but it may also include valuable
secondary material, such as the research team's synthesis and interpretation of prior published studies reviewed in the
discussion of the results or as background for why the study was conducted.

Similarly, a 1863 newspaper about the Gettysburg Address may include secondary source quotes from text of the Address (the
primary source being Lincoln's manuscript), but it would be a primary source of any commentary or observations about the
Address. It might also include tertiary material if the reporter included a summary of written reports that appeared in other
newspaper accounts.

The classification of a source may also vary depending on use. The same 1863 newspaper articles about Lincoln's speech
become primary sources when used by a modern scholar to write a dissertation on media treatment and public reactions to
Lincoln and the Civil War.

Because of these many variables, there is a grave risk that arguments about how a source should be classified can become
occasions for unproductive edit warring and wikilawyering.

It is therefore important to remember that, according to policy, primary, secondary, and tertiary sources may all be acceptable if
used appropriately. Therefore, how material is classified is far less important than making certain that the material cited from the
source is accurately described without inserting interpretations which are not specifically present in the cited source. That is the
essence of the "No Original Research" policy.

For additional information regarding classification of source material, with examples regarding the appropriate use or misuse of
these sources in Wikipedia, please see Primary Secondary and Tertiary Sources.

NOTE: The following section would not be included in NOR policy. It would be a separate page offering guidelines.

Start of guidelines regarding use of primary, secondary and tertiary sources [edit]

According to Wikipedia's verifiability policy, any material that is challenged or likely to be challenged must be accompanied by
a reliable source. In general, the most reliable sources are (a) peer-reviewed journals and books published in university
presses, followed by (b) university-level textbooks; then by (c) magazines, journals, and books published by respected
publishing houses; then by (d) mainstream newspapers.

Research that consists of collecting and organizing material from existing sources is encouraged: this is "source-based
research," and it is fundamental to writing an encyclopedia. Problems often arise, however, when editors use sources in ways
that constitute original research, or which violate Wikipedia's policy of neutrality.

This guideline sets factors that an editor should keep in mind while using various types of sources for verifying the statements in
an article. Sources can be classified in various ways. The most useful classification is by their primary,secondary or tertiary in
nature. Another classification is in terms of first-party or second-party.

Primary, secondary, and tertiary sources may all be appropriately used, if (1) they are used without engaging in original
research or synthesis and (2) if in the event of conflicts between sources they are treated with the appropriate deference to the
"better" source. These guidelines address these two principles.

The classification of primary, secondary, and tertiary sources can be different in various disciplines and may depend on the
context in which the source is used. The examples and definitions given in these guidelines are provided as an aid for more
informed discussion of these classification issues when they come up.

Primary sources are sources very close to the origin of a particular topic or event. An
eyewitness account of a traffic accident is an example of a primary source. Other examples
include archeological artifacts; photographs; videos; historical documents such as diaries,
census results, maps, or transcripts of surveillance, public hearings, trials, or interviews;
unstipulated results of surveys or questionnaires; the original written or recorded notes of
laboratory and field research, experiments or observations which have not been published
in a peer reviewed source; original philosophical works, religious scripture, administrative
documents, patents, and artistic and fictional works such as poems, scripts, screenplays,
novels, motion pictures, videos, and television programs.
[1]

Secondary sources are accounts at least one step removed from an event or body of
primary-source material and may include an interpretation, analysis, or synthetic claims

about the subject. Secondary sources may draw on primary sources and other secondary
sources to create a general overview; or to make analytic or synthetic claims.
[2]

[3][4]

Tertiary sources are publications such as encyclopedias or other compendia that sum up secondary
and primary sources. For example, Wikipedia itself is a tertiary source. Many introductory textbooks may
also be considered tertiary to the extent that they sum up multiple primary and secondary sources.