Förstahands

Förstahands is a Swedish adjective meaning “from the first hand” or “directly obtained.” It describes information, sources, or experiences that come directly from an original source or through direct experience, rather than via intermediaries. The term is commonly used in compounds such as förstahandsinformation, förstahandskällor, and förstahandsuppgifter, and is typically contrasted with andrahandskällor or sekundärdata, which are second-hand or secondary.

In research and data collection, förstahandsdata (primary data) refers to data gathered directly for a specific study through methods like experiments, surveys, observations, or interviews. Such data are valued for relevance and control over collection, though they can require more time and resources to obtain than sekundärdata or andrahandskällor, which rely on existing sources or summaries produced by others. In historiography, journalism, and law, förstahandskällor denote original materials—diaries, official records, eyewitness accounts—versus later summaries, interpretations, or reports.

Usage notes: førstahands is typically written as one word in compound forms, paired with a noun to form uttryck such as förstahandsinformation or förstahandsuppgifter. While common in everyday language, more formal academic contexts may prefer the term primärdata or primära källor to express the same concept. The choice of terminology can vary by discipline and audience, but the underlying idea remains the directness of the source or experience.