Types of SourcesUNIV 200 Spring 2015

Instructor: Meredith Spencer

Primary vs. Secondary

• Primary Sources• Original materials on which other research is based

• Have not been filtered through interpretation or evaluation.

• Usually the first formal appearance of results in physical, print, or electronic format. Present original thinking, report a discovery, or share new information.

• From the time period involved

• Examples: artifacts, audio recordings, diaries, correspondence, interviews, old newspaper articles, original documents (birth certificate, trial transcript, etc.), photographs, speeches, polls, works of art, music, etc.

Primary vs. Secondary

• Secondary Sources• Interpretations and evaluations of primary sources.

• Accounts written after the fact with the benefit of hindsight.

• Not evidence, per se, but rather commentary on and discussion of evidence.

• Examples: journal articles, substantive books (books that discuss important issues, phenomena, and other types of primary sources), textbooks, magazine and newspaper articles discussing the primary source, histories, etc.

Types of Secondary Sources

•Scholarly

•Substantive

•Tertiary

Scholarly Sources

• Peer-reviewed

• Usually published by a university press

• Written by a scholar, an expert in the field, & often for scholars

• Presents an argument backed up by evidence and analysis.

• A scientific scholarly piece will present an experiment, its methodology, detailed results, and the conclusion drawn from the study or experiment.

• Examples: articles from discipline-specific databases, critical essay in a book collection of essays, scholarly book, etc.

Substantive Sources

• Well-researched and thoroughly presented work that is based on the work of scholars in any number of fields.

• It may present multiple perspectives and should be contending with a thesis and developing a claim.

• Examples: may come in the form of an article, documentary, book (like Why We Love & The Paradox of Choice), etc.

Tertiary Sources

• Three times removed from the primary source

• Consist of information which is a distillation and collection of primary and secondary sources

• Often shorter and more information-based (rather than argument-based)

• Should be used to gather facts or take stock of opinions and perspectives of others

• Examples: YouTube videos, articles linked on Facebook or other social media, organization website, blogs, data visualization, interviews.

Comparison Across Disciplines

SUBJECT PRIMARY SECONDARY TERTIARY

Art and Architecture

Painting by Manet Article critiquing art piece

YouTube video discussing the piece

Chemistry/Life Sciences

Einstein's diaryScientific article applying Einstein’s work

Dictionary on Theory of Relativity

Engineering/Physical Sciences

PatentNational Technical Information Service database

Manual on using invention

Humanities Letters by Martin Luther King

Substantive book on King's writings

Encyclopedia on Civil Rights Movement

Social Sciences Notes taken by clinical psychologist

Substantive magazine article about the psychological condition

Textbook on clinical psychology

Performing Arts Movie filmed in 1942

Biography of the director Guide to the movie

Tips for Identifying Types of Sources

• Look @ your citation:• Who wrote it? A scholar with a PhD? A professional journalist? For the NYT or

Wall Street Journal? Your buddy Skip?

• Who published it? A university press? A .org or .com website? Random House?

• When was it published? 1852? 2014?

• Look @ the source itself:• What are the elements of the source? Are there abstract, introduction, methods,

results, & discussion sections? Is it a collection of essays by multiple people?

• What is the level of sophistication/complexity of the writing style?

• What medium does it come in?

Organic ResearchThe Key to Success

Organic Research

• Using one source to find other sources vs. doing separate, unconnected keyword searches over and over again

• Use one source’s bibliography to direct you to a new source

• Use one source’s references to other scholars in the field to direct you to a new source

• Cite the cited, not the citer:• If one source quotes a different author/source, and you find the quotation pertinent,

rather than citing the source that cites the original, seek out the original! The author should make it clear who is speaking and the bibliography should contain enough information for you to conduct a search and find the original source.

• This is the most effective way to go about conducting your research & will help you immensely in finding the requisite 15 sources.

Keyword SearchingLibrary Day Prep Exercise

Video

• http://www.screencast.com/t/knn42lh7o

Show your research process!

• 1. Write down your research question.

• 2. Identify the most important words/phrases in your topic & think of related terms for each.

• BRING TO LIBRARY CLASS ON THURSDAY!

Directions to Library Classroom

• ..\Documents\Directions to Library Classroom.pdf