Ask AI: What are primary and secondary sources including citations and in-text referencing

Primary and secondary sources are types of resources that you can use for research or documentation of information. 1. Primary Sources: These are the original documents or first-hand accounts of an event, topic, or time period typically generated by witnesses or recorders who experienced the events or conditions you are researching. Examples include research studies, autobiographies, government documents, speeches, raw data, original artwork, journals, and letters. 2. Secondary Sources: These are one step removed from primary sources, they interpret, analyze, or summarize primary sources. Examples include books or articles that critique or interpret a research study, newspapers, biographies, textbooks, and reviews. Citations and in-text referencing pertain to the method of acknowledging resources used in a paper or research. 1. Citations: These are detailed references to the sources from where you have taken information for your paper. They appear at the end of your work and offer full details about the resource - typically the author's name, date of publication, title of the work, and publication data. For example, in APA (American Psychological Association) format: Smith, J. (2020). Name of Book. Publisher City, State: Publisher. 2. In-text referencing: These are brief references within the text of your paper pointing the reader to the complete reference at the end of your work. This usually includes the author of the work you are citing and the year it was published. For example, in APA format, it can appear as follows: (Smith, 2020). In both cases, the aim is to avoid plagiarism and enable others to validate your arguments or reuse your work effectively. Keep in mind the formatting (MLA, APA, Chicago, etc.) may modify the way you cite and reference resources depending on what is acceptable in your field.