What is the difference between a Primary Source & a Secondary Source?
Primary Sources are original materials on which research is based. They are firsthand testimony or direct evidence concerning a topic under consideration. They present information in its original form. They have not been interpreted, condensed, or evaluated by other writers.
Examples:
Secondary sources offer interpretation or analysis based on primary sources. They may explain primary sources and often use them to support a specific thesis or argument or to persuade the reader to accept a certain point of view. Such works are one or more steps removed from the event—being written with the benefit of hindsight.
Examples:
Scholarly monographs are single-volume works (books) providing in-depth research into a specialized area of knowledge and contribute to the ongoing scholarship in a particular discipline by offering original insight into their subjects. Unlike popular or trade books, which are geared toward general readers, they are written by faculty or other scholars in a field for an academic audience.
Although scholarly monographs are self-contained (they can stand on their own), they may be part of a series of books covering a wider subject area. Scholarly monographs are typically purchased by academic and research libraries for use by scholars, including students. You won't usually find them on bookstore shelves.