Final answer:
A diary with a firsthand account and an interview are primary sources, while a textbook summarizing firsthand accounts is a secondary source. A scholarly journal may be primary or secondary, depending on its content.
Step-by-step explanation:
When determining whether a source is primary or secondary, it's essential to assess the nature of the information and how it was gathered. A primary source is an original document or direct evidence concerning a topic under investigation. Often these are created by witnesses or first recorders of the events at the time they occurred and provide firsthand testimony or direct evidence, such as diaries, interviews, original research reports, and historical documents.
- A diary containing a firsthand account is a primary source because it is the direct record of the writer's thoughts and experiences.
- An interview is typically considered a primary source as it contains the direct accounts of the interviewee's experiences and opinions.
- A textbook that summarizes a firsthand account is a secondary source because it offers a secondhand interpretation or analysis of the original accounts.
- A scholarly journal can be either a primary or a secondary source, depending on the content it presents. If the article contains original research or firsthand accounts, it is primary; if it's a review or a summary of other sources, it's secondary.
These categorizations are crucial for historians and researchers as they provide the foundational evidence upon which further analysis and interpretations can be based.