Which of the following is a primary source?

• A. A modern textbook chapter about the event.
• B. A diary entry written by a person who witnessed the event.
• C. A compiled dataset of statistics about the event.
• D. A documentary film produced years later.

Answer: (B)

Primary sources are original records created at the time of an event or by someone who experienced it directly. A diary entry written by a person who witnessed the event fits this because it captures the author’s own observations, thoughts, and details as they happened, providing firsthand evidence of what occurred.

The other options involve interpretation, synthesis, or later construction rather than a firsthand account: a modern textbook chapter presents analysis and summarizes evidence from multiple sources; a compiled dataset of statistics is a secondary product that comes from collecting and organizing information after the fact; a documentary film produced years later offers an interpretive retelling built from various sources rather than the creator’s direct, contemporaneous experience.