Source may refer to:

Research

Historical document Historical documents are original documents that contain important historical information about a person, place, or event and can thus serve as primary sources as important ingredients of the historical methodology. Significant historical docume ...

Historical source A historical source encompasses "every kind of evidence that human beings have left of their past activities — the written word and spoken word, the shape of the landscape and the material artefact, the fine arts as well as photography and film." ...

* Source (intelligence) or sub source, typically a confidential provider of non open-source intelligence *

Source (journalism) In journalism, a source is a person, publication, or knowledge of other record or document that gives timely information. Outside journalism, sources are sometimes known as "news sources". Examples of sources include official records, publicati ...

, a person, publication, publishing institute or other record or document that gives information *

Source document A source document is a document in which data collected for a clinical trial is first recorded. This data is usually later entered in the case report form. The International Conference on Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Registration ...

, a document in which data collected for a clinical trial is first recorded *

Source text A source text is a text (sometimes oral) from which information or ideas are derived. In translation, a source text is the original text that is to be translated into another language. More generally, source material or symbolic sources are ob ...

, in research (especially in the humanities), a source of information referred to by citation **

Primary source In the study of history as an academic discipline, a primary source (also called an original source) is an Artifact (archaeology), artifact, document, diary, manuscript, autobiography, recording, or any other source of information that was cre ...

, a first-hand written evidence of history made at the time of the event by someone who was present **

Secondary source In Scholarly method, scholarship, a secondary sourcePrimary, secondary and tertiar ...

, a written account of history based upon the evidence from primary sources **

Tertiary source A tertiary source is an index or textual consolidation of already published primary and secondary sourcesSources (website) Sources is a web portal for journalists, freelance writers, editors, authors and researchers, focusing especially on human sources: experts and spokespersons who are prepared to answer Reporters' questions or make themselves available for on-air ...

, a directory of expert contacts and media spokespersons *

Open source Open source is source code that is made freely available for possible modification and redistribution. Products include permission to use and view the source code, design documents, or content of the product. The open source model is a decentrali ...

, a philosophy of dissemination of intellectual products

Law

Sources of international law International law, also known as "law of nations", refers to the body of rules which regulate the conduct of sovereign states in their relations with one another. Sources of international law include treaties, international customs, general wi ...

, the materials and processes out of which the rules and principles regulating the international community are developed *

Sources of law Sources of law are the origins of laws, the binding rules that enable any state to govern its territory. The terminology was already used in Rome by Cicero as a metaphor referring to the "fountain" ("fons" in Latin) of law. Technically, anything ...

, the materials and processes out of which law is developed

Mathematics and physics

Sources and sinks In the physical sciences, engineering and mathematics, sources and sinks is an analogy used to describe properties of vector fields. It generalizes the idea of fluid sources and sinks (like the faucet and drain of a bathtub) across different sci ...

a general mathematical analogy used in science * Source of a

morphism In mathematics, a morphism is a concept of category theory that generalizes structure-preserving maps such as homomorphism between algebraic structures, functions from a set to another set, and continuous functions between topological spaces. Al ...

* Source, a point where the

divergence In vector calculus, divergence is a vector operator that operates on a vector field, producing a scalar field giving the rate that the vector field alters the volume in an infinitesimal neighborhood of each point. (In 2D this "volume" refers to ...

of a vector field is positive *

Source of a representation In mathematical finite group theory In abstract algebra, group theory studies the algebraic structures known as group (mathematics), groups. The concept of a group is central to abstract algebra: other well-known algebraic structures, such ...

, in finite group theory * Source, a terminal in a

field-effect transistor The field-effect transistor (FET) is a type of transistor that uses an electric field to control the current through a semiconductor. It comes in two types: junction FET (JFET) and metal-oxide-semiconductor FET (MOSFET). FETs have three termi ...

Current source A current source is an electronic circuit that delivers or absorbs an electric current which is independent of the voltage across it. A current source is the dual of a voltage source. The term ''current sink'' is sometimes used for sources fed ...

, an electrical or electronic device that delivers or absorbs electric current *

Energy sources Energy development is the field of activities focused on obtaining sources of energy from Natural resource, natural resources. These activities include the production of Renewable energy, renewable, nuclear power, nuclear, and fossil fuel derive ...

, substances or processes with high concentrations of energy *

Ion source An ion source is a device that creates atomic and molecular ions. Ion sources are used to form ions for mass spectrometers, optical emission spectrometers, particle accelerators, ion implanters and ion engines. Electron ionization Elect ...

, a device that creates atomic and molecular ions *

Light source Light, visible light, or visible radiation is electromagnetic radiation that can be visual perception, perceived by the human eye. Visible light spans the visible spectrum and is usually defined as having wavelengths in the range of 400– ...

, an object emitting light *

Point source A point source is a single identifiable ''localized'' source of something. A point source has a negligible extent, distinguishing it from other source geometries. Sources are called point sources because, in mathematical modeling, these sources ...

, a single identifiable localised source of something *

Radioactive source A radioactive source is a known quantity of a radionuclide which emits ionizing radiation, typically one or more of the radiation types gamma rays, alpha particles, beta particles, and neutron radiation. Sources can be used for irradiation, where ...

, a known quantity of a radionuclide which emits ionizing radiation * Sound source, an object emitting

sound In physics, sound is a vibration that propagates as an acoustic wave through a transmission medium such as a gas, liquid or solid. In human physiology and psychology, sound is the ''reception'' of such waves and their ''perception'' by the br ...

Voltage source A voltage source is a two-terminal (electronics), terminal device which can maintain a fixed voltage. An ideal voltage source can maintain the fixed voltage independent of the load resistance or the output Electric current, current. However, a r ...

, any device or system that produces an electromotive force between its terminals

Computing and technology

Source (command) In a Unix shell, the full stop called the dot command (.) is a command that evaluates commands in a computer file in the current execution context. In the C shell, a similar functionality is provided as the source command, and this name is seen ...

, a UNIX command to execute commands from a file *

Communication source A source or sender is one of the basic concepts of communication and information processing. Sources are objects which encode message data and transmit the information, via a channel, to one or more observers (or receivers). In the stricte ...

, objects which encode message data and transmit the information *

Source code In computing, source code, or simply code or source, is a plain text computer program written in a programming language. A programmer writes the human readable source code to control the behavior of a computer. Since a computer, at base, only ...

, a file containing code for software written in a programming language * Source theory, any process that generates successive messages in

information theory Information theory is the mathematical study of the quantification (science), quantification, Data storage, storage, and telecommunications, communication of information. The field was established and formalized by Claude Shannon in the 1940s, ...

Source (programming language) Source is a family of sublanguages of JavaScript, developed for the textbook Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs, JavaScript Edition (SICP JS). The JavaScript sublanguages Source §1, Source §2, Source §3 and Source §4 are desig ...

, a family of sublanguages of JavaScript to support Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs, JavaScript Adaptation

Earth and life sciences

Inflow (hydrology) Inflow may refer to: * Inflow (hydrology), the water entering a body of water * Inflow (meteorology), the influx of warmth and moisture from air into storm systems * Capital inflows, in macroeconomics and international finance * Infiltration/I ...

, the source of the water in a lake * Source (hydrology), the original point from which a river or stream flows *

Source rock In petroleum geology, source rock is a sedimentary rock which has generated hydrocarbons or which has the potential to generate hydrocarbons. Source rocks are one of the necessary elements of a working petroleum system. They are organic-rich sedim ...

s, rocks that have generated, or are capable of generating hydrocarbons * Source tissue, plant tissue serving as a source of nutrients; for example see

Somatic embryogenesis Somatic embryogenesis is an artificial process in which a plant or embryo is derived from a single somatic cell. Somatic embryos are formed from plant cells that are not normally involved in the development of embryos, i.e. ordinary plant tissue. N ...

Art and entertainment

Fictional entities

Source (comics) The Source is a metaphysical concept created by writer-artist Jack Kirby for his Fourth World series of comic books. It first appeared in ''New Gods'' #1 (February 1971). History The Source is a cosmic force and the source of everything that exis ...

, a sentient entity who provides advice to the New Gods in the DC Multiverse

Games

Source (game engine) Source is a 3D game engine developed by Valve. It debuted as the successor to GoldSrc in 2004 with the releases of '' Half-Life: Source'', '' Counter-Strike: Source'', and '' Half-Life 2''. Valve used Source in many of their games in the foll ...

, a game engine developed by Valve **

Source 2 Source 2 is a video game engine developed by Valve. The engine was announced in 2015 as the successor to the original Source engine, with the first game to use it, ''Dota 2'', being ported from Source that same year. Other Valve games such as ...

, the successor to Source * '' Counter-Strike: Source'', a 2004 complete remake of ''Counter-Strike'' using the Source game engine * '' Day of Defeat: Source'', a 2005 complete remake of ''Day of Defeat'' using the Source game engine

Music

* ''Source'' (album), a 2020 album by Nubya Garcia, or the title song * ''Source'', a 2003 album by

the Duskfall The Duskfall is a Swedish melodic death metal band from Luleå, formed in 1999. The band released four full-length studio albums and, shortly afterwards, split in 2008; however, they reformed in 2014. History The band was formed in 1999 when gu ...

* "Source", a song by Tycho from his 2016 album ''

Epoch In chronology and periodization, an epoch or reference epoch is an instant in time chosen as the origin of a particular calendar era. The "epoch" serves as a reference point from which time is measured. The moment of epoch is usually decided b ...

Periodicals

* ''Source'' (lifestyle magazine), a bi-monthly magazine published by the John Lewis Partnership * ''Source'' (photography magazine), a quarterly photography magazine * '' Sources: A Journal of Jewish Ideas'', published by the Shalom Hartman Institute

Visual arts

* ''Source'' (1/3), public artwork by U.S. artist Tony Smith

Organizations

* Source (UNSW), a community service provider that used to operate at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia * Source Family (1922–1975), a commune outside of 1970's Hollywood *

Source Vagabond Systems Source Vagabond Systems Ltd. (brand: SOURCE) is known in the outdoor, trekking and sports market for sandals, hydration systems, packs and accessories and in the tactical market for hydration systems, packs, and its SOURCE Virtus Soldier System. ...

, an Israeli manufacturer using the brand "SOURCE"

Places

* natural spring *

headwaters The headwater of a river or stream is the geographical point of its beginning, specifically where surface runoff water begins to accumulate into a flowing channel of water. A river or stream into which one or many tributary rivers or streams flo ...

* Les Sources (), Estrie, Quebec, Canada; a regional county municipality * Des Sources station (), Montreal, Quebec, Canada; a light rail station * Boulevard Des Sources (), Montreal, Quebec, Canada; a large street

Other uses

Operation Source Operation Source was a series of attacks to neutralise the heavy German warships – ''Tirpitz'', ''Scharnhorst'', and ''Lützow'' – based in northern Norway, using X-class midget submarines. The attacks took place in September 1943 at K� ...

, a series of attacks on German warships in 1943 *

Absolute (philosophy) In philosophy (often specifically metaphysics), the absolute, in most common usage, is a perfect, self-sustainability, self-sufficient reality that depends upon nothing external to itself. In theology, the term is also used to designate the supre ...

, or the source, as the absolute principle of being