The word "primary" suggests the first and most important in rank or value. It also refers to the most direct or immediate, and stands in contrast to secondary, which is incidental to what is primary and is of a lower class or rank. A primary source, then, refers to original text or material; whereas a secondary source refers to a commentary or compilation of some sort drawn from the original source.
A primary source in genealogy suggests a document recorded at or near the time of an event. Birth, marriage, and death records, for example, are considered primary sources because they are recorded by a civil authority at or near the time of the event. Original parish records, wills and probates, land and census records are also considered primary sources. Of course, they are primary sources only for the event to which they directly relate. Some family records and newspaper articles may qualify as primary sources, depending in what they are recording and under what circumstance. Additionally, exact photocopies or microfilmed copies of primary source material—with no transcription or modification, retain their primary source status. Examples may include microfilmed records found in libraries or original document images found on the Internet such as census records. However, an index of birth, marriage, and death records, etc. is a secondary source, as it is compiled from original content and considerably subject to error. Researchers must also keep in mind that even original or primary source documents can be in error, so verification is an important follow-up to any conflict of information.
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