Is a documentary a secondary source?
A documentary can either be a secondary or a tertiary source. It is a secondary source if it analyses different types of sources, and a tertiary source if it only repackages information and doesn't provide interpretations or opinions.
➡️ What is a secondary source?
When documentaries include some sort of social critique, they should be considered secondary sources.
The True Cost, for instance, is a documentary that did not only gather sources but curated them to share a message. It includes opinions and material that invites the viewer to rethink their retail consumption.
When the main purpose of a documentary is to only capture reality, then it is considered a tertiary source.
For example, the documentary RBG, considered an “assemblage of interviews, public appearances and archival material, organized to illuminate the temperament of Ruth Bader Ginsburg” by The New York Times should be categorized as a tertiary source. RBG portrays the life and milestones of Ruth Ginsburg and does not provide any social critique.
How to cite a documentary
The type of documentary and citation style used will determine the exact citation format. This is how you would cite the documentary Blackfish in APA:
Cowperthwaite, G. (2013, January 19). Blackfish. Magnolia Pictures.
Instead of worrying about the correct format of your documentary citation in any given citation style, you can use a reference manager like Paperpile to automatically and correctly generate your citation for you.
Collect your sources and keep them tidily organized in your Paperpile library. Switch between thousands of citation styles and cite your references directly in Google Docs, Microsoft Word, and LaTeX:
Frequently Asked Questions about documentaries as secondary sources
🎥 Is a documentary a primary source?
A documentary is not a primary source. A documentary can either be a secondary or tertiary source.
🥉 What is a tertiary source?
A tertiary source summarizes or simply compiles information. Some examples of tertiary sources are textbooks, encyclopedias, and sometimes, documentaries.
🥈 When is a documentary a secondary source?
A documentary can either be a secondary or a tertiary source. It is a secondary source when it analyses different types of sources, and a tertiary source when it only repackages information and doesn't provide interpretations or opinions.
💻 Is a Netflix documentary a secondary source?
A Netflix documentary can either be a secondary or a tertiary source. It is a secondary source when it analyses different types of sources, and a tertiary source when it only repackages information and doesn't provide interpretations or opinions.
📽️ Is a BBC documentary a secondary source?
A BBC documentary can either be a secondary or a tertiary source. It is a secondary source when it analyses different types of sources, and a tertiary source when it only repackages information and doesn't provide interpretations or opinions.
