Go back to the original sources please!

This column is intended to address the kinds of knotty problems and dilemmas with which many scholars grapple in studying health professions education. In this article, we address the dilemma of engaging with foundational works versus depending on summary articles. We argue that an over-dependence on secondary sources can lead to prejudices and unquestioned assumptions, and limit the constructive development of our field. We urge health professions education scholars to honour the original literature not just for their own learning and understanding, but so that the field can move forward in developing theory and methodology.