Page 16 - DLIS006_INFORMATION SOURCES AND SERVICES

Unit 1: Documentary Sources of Information

to avoid duplication in research. Primary sources are the original documents representing Notes
unfiltered original ideas. These are original medium of scientific communication. Primary
sources consist of original theories, ideas discoveries and inventions. These sources are scattered
and unorganized. The information about the development is not published earlier in other
sources. The information available in the primary sources is original in the sense that this
information is neither filtered nor condensed. These primary sources contain new or original
ideas or new interpretations of known facts.

Importance of Primary Sources

Primary sources of information are very important, especially for the researchers. They keep
them up-to-date and well-informed in their areas of interest and about the current developments
that take place in their fields. The growth or development of a discipline depends upon the
amount of literature produced in the form of primary literature. A subject becomes a discipline
in its own right when independent primary sources begin to be produced in that area. The rate
of growth of a discipline, to a large extent, depends upon the amount of literature being produced
in the field. Primary sources are very useful for the researchers.
They help the researcher to:
Keep themselves tip-to-date and well-informed in their field of research.

Avoid duplication in research.
Develop them further and generate much information

Drawbacks of Primary Sources

Some of the drawbacks of primary sources are as follows:
They are unorganised sources and are difficult to consult. Searching of information is
sometimes difficult.

Information is scattered and widely dispersed in many sources.
The information related to narrow field or minute topic is not available in a single primary
source, The user has to search in many primary sources.

Primary sources do not possess any orderly presentation of information.

Characteristics of Primary Sources

The following are the characteristics of primary sources:
Primary sources are the original sources of information on which other research is based,
such as surveys, interviews, fieldwork, original articles, etc.

They present information in its original form, not interpreted or condensed or evaluated
by other writers. Primary sources contain raw, original and unevaluated information.

They present original report on discoveries or share new information such as a report of
scientific work.
They come as first-hand information from the source or person.

They are unfiltered through interpretation or evaluation.
They are records of a first-hand observation of an event, original work of fiction, art etc.

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