Research 101: Library Research Basics

What is a primary source?

• A primary source is a first hand testimony, document, speech or other evidence that gives insight into a particular person or an event.
• They are often created during the time period which is being studied but can also be produced later by eyewitnesses or participants.
• Primary sources are available in their original format in libraries, museums, archives, and are also reproduced online in library databases, books, and on university, government, and museum websites.

Examples include:

• Original documents like: Autobiographies, memoirs, oral histories, diaries, interviews, correspondence, minutes, film footage, official records, photographs, raw research data, speeches, newspapers, government documents, email.
• Creative original works like: Art (paintings, drawings, sculptures, etc.), drama (plays, scripts, etc.), films, music, novels, poetry.
• Relics or artifacts like: Buildings, clothing, DNA, furniture, jewelry, pottery.

What is a secondary source?

• Secondary sources interpret historical events by examining primary sources and usually other secondary sources, such as books and journal articles. 

Examples include:

• Non-fiction books
• Magazine articles
• Scholarly articles that interpret original data (the raw data would be a primary source)
• Blog or website posts describing or interpreting an event or person
• Read this alumnae/i post about women's fashion at Vassar College. The article is a secondary source, while the photograph below is a primary source.

Image Source

What is a tertiary source?

• Tertiary sources are "meta" sources that compile information on a given topic.

Examples include:

• Bibliographies, literature reviews, meta-analyses, indices, anthologies, lists, etc.
• The annotated bibliography you compile when researching a topic for a paper is considered a "tertiary" source.
• A Buzzfeed "listicle" (or article that compiles a list linking to other sources) would also be considered a tertiary source.
• In the social sciences, a literature review would also be considered a tertiary source.

Free Digital Collections with Primary Sources

Library Databases with Primary Sources

Primary Sources in the Library