Why is the distinction between primary and secondary sources a basis for scientific work and how do you assess a quote from "Spiegelonline" as a scientific source in this context?

Essay from the year 2016 in the subject Communications - Methods and Research Logic, Leuphana Universität Lüneburg, language: English, abstract: This essay deals with the question of why the distinction between primary and secondary sources is a basis for scientific work and how a quote from ¿Spiegelonline¿ is assessed as a scientific source in this context. In the course of this paper various reasons for a distinction between the source types will be depicted as well as why quoting from secondary sources entails problems. Also how those issues could pose as a serious danger to the quality of scientific work in general will be addressed. A scientific ethical point of view will be especially looked at in the main part of why a distinction between primary and secondary sources makes sense.