Quelltypen

Quelltypen is a term used in research, information science, and related fields to classify sources according to their nature, provenance, and documentary form. The concept is applied to organize and evaluate the materials that scholars rely on, from archival documents to modern digital outputs, and to guide citation practices and methodological scrutiny.

The most common division is into Primärquellen (primary sources), which are original materials such as manuscripts, official records, artifacts, or eyewitness accounts; Sekundärquellen (secondary sources), which interpret or analyze primary materials; and Tertiärquellen (tertiary sources), which summarize or compile existing scholarship. Additional distinctions occur by format and accessibility, including Schriftliche Quellen (written documents), Mündliche Quellen (oral testimonies), Visuelle Quellen (photos, drawings), and Audiovisuelle Quellen (films, audio records). Other axes include Originalquellen versus Transkriptionen oder Übersetzungen, sowie Digital- versus Printquellen and archival versus field-notes. These categories are not mutually exclusive but often intersect in complex source collections.

In scholarly practice, Quelltypen help researchers assess reliability, bias, and scope. Analysts note the type of each source, consider its context and provenance, and identify gaps or conflicting evidence. Cross-referencing multiple Quelltypen supports more robust conclusions and transparent documentation of the evidentiary base. The concept is widely used in German-language historiography, ethnography, journalism studies, and library science, and intersects with related ideas such as Quellenkritik, Quellenbewertung, and provenance tracking in digital humanities.