Primary Source
An original, firsthand record such as raw data, an interview transcript, a historical document, or an original research report.
A primary source is an original, firsthand record of the thing being studied. What counts depends on the field: in history it may be a letter, treaty, or newspaper from the period; in empirical disciplines it is the article in which researchers first report their own data and methods; in literary studies it is the text under analysis itself. The common thread is direct evidence rather than someone else's account of that evidence.
Theses are expected to engage with primary sources wherever a claim rests on evidence. Citing a finding from the original study, rather than from a textbook or review that summarizes it, lets you check the methods and context yourself and avoids inheriting other authors' misreadings. Examiners often probe whether you read the works you cite, so trace important claims back to their origin.
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