Primary sources are original research, not commentary on that research. In the social sciences, primary sources can also refer to seminal documents or treatises like the original writings of Freud or Adler. Thus, a primary source does not necessarily need to be an experimental research. Qualitative studies and any other original publication can be considered a primary source. The value of citing primary sources is that I can interact with the source directly, and use the primary source to substantiate my own research. I am not receiving secondhand opinions, and the information contained in the research is not paraphrased or summarized.
Secondary sources are also valuable, though, in that they provide scholarly analysis of primary sources. Scholars who interact with multiple—sometimes hundreds—of primary sources can come up with new theories that transform their field of study. Secondary sources are not less valuable than primary sources, just different. I will evaluate primary and secondary sources for what they are, paying attention to their individual strengths and weaknesses.
As I work through this course, I will evaluate research on personality psychology on the grounds of research validity, reliability, and generalizability. Research design, methods, and interpretation of results are some of the potential points of weakness in any study. When reading...
References
Millon, T. & Grossman, S. (n.d.). Evolution-based personality theory. Institute for Advanced Studies in Personology & Psychopathology. http://www.crossroadscounselingchicago.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Evolution.pdf
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