Information sources can generally be classified as either primary, secondary, or tertiary. This classification is based on the source's relationship to the original creator, subject, or event, so they can come in all kinds of formats. A source might be primary in one context but secondary in another!
For your project, your goal is to find the best available primary sources on your topic, and then supplement them with secondary sources.
Image from Sources of Information on Wikipedia, Karkhana Samuha
|
Type |
Description |
Examples include... |
|---|---|---|
|
Primary sources |
Primary sources are firsthand information or data from people who directly experienced a given event or time period. Researchers analyze primary sources in original research to develop their own theories or conclusions. (When the researcher publishes a writeup of their conclusions, that's a secondary source!) |
|
|
Secondary sources |
Secondary sources comment on, interpret, evaluate, or analyze primary sources. They're usually written after the fact. They're not evidence in and of themselves, but you can use them to trace back to primary sources or to examine how different researchers approach a topic. |
|
|
Tertiary sources |
Tertiary sources compile and distill information from primary and secondary sources. They help point people toward the available sources of information on a topic. The annotated bibliography required for this course is a type of tertiary source. |
|
