[WikiEN-l] Primary sources

[Mak]

I've been struggling with this a bit myself. I have to disagree with
MacGyver, I think primary sources definitely play a role in good
encyclopedic writing. For instance, the use of quotes from a published play
could easily be useful in an article about that play. In this case the
primary source would be easily verifiable and useful, so it's complex.

I try to only use primary sources to back up opinions found in secondary
sources. Don't use a bunch of primary sources to come to a conclusion which
is not supported in your secondary sources, since this definitely becomes
original research. An example of where I've tried to do this is in [[Hymn to
St. Cecilia]], where I quote from /published/ primary source material to
support views expressed in other secondary sources.
Makemi

On 3/17/06, MacGyverMagic/Mgm <macgyvermagic at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Primary sources are hard if not impossible to verify. Don't use them.
>
> Mgm
>
> On 3/17/06, Jonathan <dzonatas at dzonux.net> wrote:
> > Hello,
> >
> > If someone uses a primary source, should the context be quoted directly?
> > If it is not, would that constitute original research? Another words, if
> > someone takes the primary source and interprets it to his or her own
> > need, it does seem like a re-creation of a primary source. It's like
> > original research in an attempt to make the primary source a secondary
> > source.
> >
> > I've seen this kind of discussion before. The result was that all
> > scholarly work is always based on secondary scholastic sources. That
> > does not give an answer to the primary sources as above, but it does
> > shed some insight into non-scholarly source creep.
> >
> > Feedback is appreciated.
> >
> > Jonathan
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