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Re: Please excuse this rant....



"Is it me, or do people not understand that printed materials (including
newspapers) are not primary sources?"

Actually, it's you. It's not the format, but how a researcher uses a source
that determines whether it's primary or secondary. Therefore, the same
source can be both primary AND secondary, depending on the researcher's
goals.


The classic example is Sandburg's biography of Lincoln, which is a secondary
source for Lincoln scholars but a primary source for Sandburg scholars.
Since the subject here is newspapers, however, a newspaper would be a
secondary source for anyone researching the subjects covered in the
articles, but a primary source for persons studying the history of the
paper, the paper's publisher or editors, the history of printing, journalism
trends, newspaper ink stability, editorial reactions to events, etc.


Lee

==--00--==

Leon C. Miller, Manuscripts Librarian
Special Collections, Jones Hall, Howard-Tilton Memorial Library
Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118
Ph: 504-865-5685, Fx: 504-865-5761
Leon.Miller@tulane.edu
http://specialcollections.tulane.edu


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-----Original Message-----
From: Archives & Archivists [mailto:ARCHIVES@LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU]On Behalf
Of Geri E. Solomon
Sent: Wednesday, May 16, 2001 3:34 PM
To: ARCHIVES@LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU
Subject: Please excuse this rant, raving, thing that I have going on today,
but I'm very tired and cranky, BU

Please excuse this rant, raving, thing that I have going on today, but I'm
very tired and cranky, BUT....

Is it me, or do people not understand that printed materials (including
newspapers) are not primary sources?????
I must be missing something, but, the point of a newspaper is to reach A LOT
of people at once, it's printed, it's secondary???? Yes???
Unless it's one of a kind, unique, etc. it's secondary????

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