primærkilden

Primærkilden is a Danish term that translates to "primary source" in English. It refers to firsthand accounts or direct evidence of an event, person, object, or work of art. Primary sources are created by someone who experienced the event or condition being described, or who created the object or work of art at the time it was created. They provide raw information and have not been interpreted, analyzed, or filtered by others.

Examples of primary sources include diaries, letters, original research reports, government documents, speeches, interviews, photographs, autobiographies, and artifacts. In historical research, primary sources are crucial for understanding the past as they offer direct insight into the thoughts, experiences, and perspectives of those who lived through historical events.

However, it is important to critically evaluate primary sources. Their creators may have biases, limited perspectives, or may not have recorded information accurately. Therefore, comparing multiple primary sources and cross-referencing them with secondary sources, which are interpretations or analyses of primary sources, is a common practice in academic research to gain a more complete and nuanced understanding. The term primærkilden emphasizes the original and unfiltered nature of these materials.