A primary source is defined by which characteristic?

• A. It includes eyewitness accounts or first hand information
• B. It is always a government document
• C. It cannot be cited
• D. It is always a textbook chapter

Answer: (A)

A primary source is original, firsthand evidence from the time of an event or from someone who experienced it. Eyewitness accounts or first‑hand information are the core examples because they come directly from participants or from artifacts created at that moment, without someone’s later interpretation distorting them. This is what makes them valuable for understanding what actually happened.

That’s why other statements don’t fit. A government document is not the defining feature since primary sources can come from individuals, organizations, or even informal items like letters, diaries, photographs, or artifacts. Primary sources can be cited in research; they are not something you “cannot” cite. And a textbook chapter is typically a secondary source, since it analyzes and summarizes original materials rather than presenting original, direct evidence.