Which of the following is an example of a primary source?

• A. An eyewitness video of a protest.
• B. A news article analyzing the protest.
• C. A textbook chapter describing protests.
• D. A blog post summarizing multiple sources.

Answer: (A)

Primary sources are original, first-hand materials created at the time of an event or by someone directly involved. An eyewitness video of a protest is a primary source because it captures the scene exactly as it occurred, without interpretation from others. The other options are secondary sources: a news article analyzing the protest interprets what happened after the fact; a textbook chapter describing protests synthesizes information from multiple sources; a blog post summarizing multiple sources compiles others’ material rather than presenting an original record. Understanding this distinction helps you assess how much direct evidence a source provides and what perspective it comes from.