ensilähteestä

Ensílähde is a Finnish term that translates to "primary source" in English. It refers to original materials or accounts that offer direct evidence about an event, object, person, or work of art. Ensílhteet are considered the most immediate and uninterpreted records of a subject.

Examples of ensílhteet include historical documents like letters, diaries, official records, and photographs, as well as eyewitness testimonies, original research data, interviews, and artifacts. In the context of academic research and historical inquiry, ensílhteet are crucial for forming an understanding of a topic, as they provide raw information without the filter of later interpretation or analysis.

Distinguishing between an ensílähde and a toissijainen lähde (secondary source) is fundamental to critical thinking and research. While ensílhteet present the original information, toissijaiset lähteet interpret, analyze, or comment on those original sources. For instance, a historian's book analyzing a particular war would be a toissijainen lähde, whereas a soldier's diary from that war would be an ensílähde. The validity and context of ensílhteet are often examined to assess their reliability and potential biases.