A secondary source is not an original source. It has no direct physical connection to the person or event being studied. Examples of secondary sources might include: history books, articles in encyclopedias, prints of paintings, replicas of art objects, reviews of research, academic articles.

What type of source is an encyclopedia?

An encyclopedia is reference material and a tertiary source. A tertiary source is a distillation and collection of primary and secondary sources. A tertiary source is good place to get an overview of a subject.

Is an encyclopedia a primary or secondary source *?

An individual document may be a primary source in one context and a secondary source in another. Encyclopedias are typically considered tertiary sources, but a study of how encyclopedias have changed on the Internet would use them as primary sources.