A source text is a text (sometimes oral) from which information or ideas are derived. In translation, a source text is the original text that is to be translated into another language. In historiography, distinctions are commonly made between three kinds of source texts:
- Primary sources are firsthand written evidence of history made at the time of the event by someone who was present.
- Examples include diaries, correspondence and newspapers. While primary source texts are generally considered to be those penned contemporaneously with the events described, some also include in this category reminiscences or texts set down at a later date by those who lived through the events described. These however may have less historical validity due to faulty memory or a desire to rewrite history. Note that other firsthand primary sources may also be evidence that is not written or textual, such as archaeological findings: pottery, coins, walls, etc.
- In textual interpretation (exegesis), the primary source is the text that is being interpreted, while commentaries and other tools are secondary sources or less.
- Secondary sources are written accounts of history based upon the evidence from primary sources. For example a history book drawing upon diary and newspaper records.
- Tertiary sources are compilations based upon primary and secondary sources. These are often meant to present known information in a convenient form with no claim to originality. Common examples are encyclopedias and textbooks.
