lähdelähde

lähdelähde is a Finnish term used in academic research that refers to a source that is cited indirectly through another work. when researchers encounter a reference to a source in a publication but have not accessed the original work themselves, they are dealing with a lähdelähde. this practice is generally discouraged in scholarly work as it can lead to errors in interpretation and citation. the term literally translates to source source, indicating that it is a source of information about another source. in research methodology, consulting primary sources directly is considered best practice to ensure accuracy and proper understanding of the original material. when using information from a lähdelähde, researchers should clearly indicate that they have not examined the original work, which helps maintain academic integrity and transparency. the concept is particularly relevant in fields where sources may be difficult to access or where research builds extensively on previous studies.