Source literature

Source literature is a category of literature known in history, literature and other fields - in particular in the humanities. Source literature is published sources, which the researchers may use in their research. According to the UNISIST model are the research results published as primary literature. Source literature is a separate category, although sources may include other researchers primary literature.

The difference between primary literature and source literature is basically related to their different functions in scholarly communication. The function of primary literature is to document the researchers claims and results. The function of source literature is to provide researchers reliable access to (other) sources. The people publishing sources are not defending a view or presenting claims or results, but they are supporting other researchers in doing so.

Kinds of source literature include:

•   Facsimiles

•   Transcriptions

•   Source editions, scholarly editions or standard editions. [Model: The works of Søren Kierkegaard].

•   Laws, court findings

•   Music

•   Data archives

•   Statistical documents, tabular documents (1) (reporting original data)

•   Translations (only qua translations; the translated work is, for example, primary literature)

•   Product information / "trade literature"

•   (Not applicable: Sourcebooks)

Example: The works of Søren Kierkegaard (1813-55) should be seen as primary literature in philosophy. A  published facsimiles or a transcription of his letters is, however source literature. A scholarly edition of the works of Søren Kierkegaard is both a new edition of his primary work (and not as such source literature) It represents, however, also a kind of source literature in providing detailed textual information about the works and by functions as a critical edition, which researchers may quote in confidence of its validity.

The word sourcebook is relatively often used in the literature. It is not, however, a meaningful concept. It is sometimes used about bibliographies, sometimes about anthologies, sometimes about collections of pictures etc. 

See also: Document typology; information sources; scholarly edition; transcription

Birger Hjørland

Last edited: 10-05-2006

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