Primary vs. Secondary Sources

Primary sources are original research, not commentary on that research. In the social sciences, primary sources can also refer to seminal documents or treatises like the original writings of Freud or Adler. Thus, a primary source does not necessarily need to be an experimental research. Qualitative studies and any other original publication can be considered a primary source. The value of citing primary sources is that I can interact with the source directly, and use the primary source to substantiate my own research. I am not receiving secondhand opinions, and the information contained in the research is not paraphrased or summarized.
Secondary sources are also valuable, though, in that they provide scholarly analysis of primary sources. Scholars who interact with multiple—sometimes hundreds—of primary sources can come up with new theories that transform their field of study. Secondary sources are not less valuable than primary sources, just different. I will evaluate primary and secondary sources for what they are, paying attention to their individual strengths and weaknesses.
As I work through this course, I will evaluate research on personality psychology on the grounds of research validity, reliability, and generalizability. Research design, methods, and interpretation of results are some of the potential points of weakness in any study. When reading a published paper closely, I need to be vigilant, recognize biases or fallacies, and understand whether the research methods used were appropriate for measuring the effect. Different research methods, both qualitative and quantitative, are acceptable in personality psychology. I have become increasingly respectful for integrating both qualitative and quantitative sources, and understand the value of mixed methods research too.
Support for Theory
I located an abundance of sources addressing the efficacy of Millon’s evolutionary approach to understanding personality development. Some of these sources are primary sources, penned by Theodore Millon and his colleagues, and some are secondary sources that comment on Millon’s work. Because Millon is prolific, I have been able to locate and use many primary sources in my research on personality psychology. The sources I located meet my strident evaluation criteria, although occasionally Millon’s methods can be problematic given that personality variables can be difficult to measure. Much of Millon’s work is theoretical in nature, rather than being research-based.
For example, Millon & Grossman (n.d.) published a brief on the central components of evolution-based personality theory. The theory is relatively new to personality psychology, with this and many of Millon’s other writings being published within the last 20 years. In this source, Millon & Grossman (n.d.) offer an explication of how the theory of evolution-based personality aligns with DSM diagnoses, particularly Axis II. Millon was interested in pathologies as well as personality categorization. This particular source is not empirical, and even his most important books like Disorders of Personality discuss the importance of personality measuring instruments without exhibiting the results of original research. Multiple methods of research are used, both qualitative and quantitative. Personality assessments are typically quantitative, allowing for classification systems that substantiate the DSM classification system. Of course, psychologists also use qualitative methods to evaluate personality psychology theories and to bolster the results of quantitative research.
I have been locating my sources in scholarly databases like EBSCO, focusing only on primary sources by Millon or secondary sources published in peer-reviewed journals. I do not have any questions for the instructor at this point, but may have as my research proceeds.





References

Millon, T. & Grossman, S. (n.d.). Evolution-based personality theory. Institute for Advanced Studies in Personology & Psychopathology. http://www.crossroadscounselingchicago.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Evolution.pdf