Both primary and secondary sources can contain bias. Primary sources are usually the work of one person. Some primary sources, like property deeds and census records, only state the facts. However, letters and diary entries often include a writer’s opinion about something in addition to the facts.

Question

Secondary sources like textbooks and biographies are often largely factual, but they may also contain the opinions of the author. An author may use primary sources to shape a secondary source in a certain direction. For this reason, it’s important to think critically to distinguish impartial facts from biased opinion.

Which of the following primary sources is most likely to include opinions as well as facts?

A
Census data

B
Property deeds

C
A personal letter

D
A photograph

Answer 1

C. A personal letter

Personal letters often include the writer's thoughts, feelings, and opinions about various topics, in addition to any factual information they may contain.