Which term describes sources that provide first-hand accounts, such as diaries and eyewitness accounts?

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First-hand accounts provide evidence from the people who experienced the events, which is why they are called primary sources. Diaries, eyewitness reports, letters, and other records created at the time capture details, perspectives, and context as events unfolded, without waiting for someone else to interpret them. This direct material gives you a window into what happened and how people felt at the moment. By contrast, secondary sources analyze or synthesize those originals after the fact, like textbooks or articles that interpret events using other sources. Credibility is about how trustworthy the information seems, not the category of the source, and peer-reviewed journals are about the publication process and quality control rather than whether the material is first-hand. The term that best describes sources like diaries and eyewitness accounts is primary sources.