When conducting research in college, it is important to understand where information comes from and how it has been created or organized. Sources generally fall into three categories: primary, secondary, and tertiary sources. Each type serves a different purpose in the research process. Primary sources provide firsthand evidence or direct accounts, secondary sources analyze and interpret information from other sources, and tertiary sources organize and summarize existing knowledge. Understanding the differences between these three types can help you choose appropriate sources, evaluate information, and build stronger, more credible research.
Primary Sources
Primary sources are original materials that provide direct evidence or firsthand testimony about a topic, event, person, or period of time. They come directly from the people, events, or data being studied and have not been significantly interpreted or analyzed by another source.
Examples include:
- History: Letters, diaries, photographs, speeches, government records, newspapers from the time period, and archaeological artifacts.
- English & Literature: Original novels, poems, plays, manuscripts, and letters written by an author.
- Social Sciences: Interview transcripts, survey results, census data, field observations, and original research data.
- Sciences: Laboratory results, experimental data, clinical trial results, and original scientific studies.
- Political Science: Legislation, court decisions, government documents, policy statements, speeches, and voting records.
- Business & Economics: Financial reports, company records, market data, economic statistics, and original surveys.
- Art & Art History: Original paintings, sculptures, photographs, architectural works, and artist statements.
Secondary Sources
Secondary sources are materials that analyze, interpret, or evaluate information found in primary sources or other secondary sources. They are created after the original event, research, or information and provide context, explanation, or commentary about the topic. Secondary sources help researchers understand and evaluate information from primary sources.
Examples include: scholarly journal articles, books, biographies, documentaries, review articles, and dissertations.
Secondary sources are some of the most commonly used sources in college research. When conducting college-level research, you will frequently use secondary sources to learn what other researchers have discovered, understand different perspectives, and support your own research and analysis.
Tertiary Sources
Tertiary sources are materials that provide context, summaries, or compilations of information from primary and secondary sources. They organize and present existing information in a convenient format and generally do not contain original research or analysis. Tertiary sources are useful for gaining background knowledge, understanding unfamiliar topics, and finding additional sources to begin your research.
Examples include: encyclopedias, dictionaries, indexes, abstracts, almanacs, reference guides, bibliographies, and research starters.
Research Starters are a helpful place to begin your research, especially when you are new to a topic. Available through the Shapiro Library, Research Starters provide concise background information, key concepts, and an overview of common topics across a variety of disciplines. They can help you become familiar with a subject, identify important terms and ideas, and discover additional sources to explore.
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