Final answer:
Primary sources are documents or physical objects created at the time being studied, such as court records or oral histories, which attribute information to specific individuals or entities.
Step-by-step explanation:
The origin of recorded information that is attributed to a specific individual or entity is usually found in primary sources. These are documents or physical objects that were created during the time under study. Such sources can be oral histories, letters, reports, diaries, interviews, photographs, and artifacts. For instance, court hearings and church records have been pivotal in illuminating the lives of people who were often overlooked in history - the poor, illiterate, and minority communities. Contemporary researchers, such as anthropologists, often credit the information they gather to the culture-bearers or communities, sometimes even assigning them authorship over the findings, with scholars taking on the role of editor or compiler to respect intellectual property protocols and ethical considerations.