Sources of information or evidence are often categorized as primary, secondary, or tertiary material. These classifications are based on the originality of the material and the proximity of the source or origin. This informs the reader as to whether the author is reporting information that is first hand or is conveying the experiences and opinions of others which is considered second hand. Determining if a source is primary, secondary or tertiary can be tricky. Below you will find a description of the three categories of information and examples to help you make a determination.
Primary Sources
These sources are records of events or evidence as they are first described or actually happened without any interpretation or commentary. It is information that is shown for the first time or original materials on which other research is based. Primary sources display original thinking, report on new discoveries, or share fresh information.
Examples
of primary sources:
Theses, dissertations, scholarly journal articles [research based], some government reports, symposia and conference proceedings, original artwork, poems, photographs, speeches, letters, memos, personal narratives, diaries, interviews, autobiographies, and correspondence.
Secondary Sources
These sources offer an analysis or restatement of primary sources. They often try to describe or explain primary sources. They tend to be works which summarize, interpret, reorganize, or otherwise provide an added value to a primary source.
Examples of Secondary Sources:
Textbooks, edited works, books and articles that interpret or review research works, histories, biographies, literary criticism and interpretation, reviews of law and legislation, political analyses and commentaries.
Tertiary Sources
These are sources that index, abstract, organize, compile, or digest other sources. Some reference materials and textbooks are considered tertiary sources when their chief purpose is to list, summarize or simply repackage ideas or other information. Tertiary sources are usually not credited to a particular author.
Examples of Tertiary Sources:
Dictionaries/encyclopedias [may also be secondary], almanacs, fact books, Wikipedia, bibliographies [may also be secondary], directories, guidebooks, manuals, handbooks, and textbooks [may be secondary], indexing and abstracting sources.
Published on June 13, 2022 by Eoghan Ryan. Revised on November 3, 2022. It’s important to know how to find relevant sources when writing a research paper,
literature review, or systematic review. The types of sources you need will depend on the stage you are at in the
research process, but all sources that you use should be credible, up to date, and relevant to your research topic. There are three main places to look for sources to use in your research: You can search for scholarly sources online using databases and search engines like Google Scholar. These provide a range of search functions
that can help you to find the most relevant sources. If you are searching for a specific article or book, include the title or the author’s name. Alternatively, if you’re just looking for sources related to your research problem, you can search using keywords. In this case, it’s important to have a clear understanding of the scope of your project and of the most relevant
keywords. Databases can be general [interdisciplinary] or subject-specific.Research databases
- You can use subject-specific databases to ensure that the results are relevant to your field.
- When using a general database or search engine, you can still filter results by selecting specific subjects or disciplines.
Example: JSTOR discipline search filter
Check the table below to find a database that’s relevant to your research.
Research databases by academic disciplineInterdisciplinary |
|
Science & mathematics |
|
Social sciences & humanities |
|
Google Scholar
To get started, you might also try Google Scholar, an academic search engine that can help you find relevant books and articles. Its “Cited by” function lets you see the number of times a source has been cited. This can tell you something about a source’s credibility and importance to the field.
Example: Google Scholar “Cited by” function
Boolean operators
Boolean operators can also help to narrow or expand your search.
Boolean operators are words and symbols like AND, OR, and NOT that you can use to include or exclude keywords to refine your results. For example, a search for “Nietzsche NOT nihilism” will provide results that include the word “Nietzsche” but exclude results that contain the word “nihilism.”
Many databases and search engines have an advanced search function that allows you to refine results in a similar way without typing the Boolean operators manually.
Example: Project Muse advanced search
Library resources
You can find helpful print sources in your institution’s library. These include:
- Journal articles
- Books
- Encyclopedias
- Newspapers and magazines
Make sure that the sources you consult are appropriate to your research.
You can find these sources using your institution’s library database. This will allow you to explore the library’s catalog and to search relevant keywords. You can refine your results using Boolean operators.
Once you have found a relevant print source in the library:
- Consider what books are beside it. This can be a great way to find related sources, especially when you’ve found a secondary or tertiary source instead of a primary source.
- Consult the index and bibliography to find the bibliographic information of other relevant sources.
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Other online sources
You can consult popular online sources to learn more about your topic. These include:
- Websites
- Crowdsourced encyclopedias like Wikipedia
- Blogs
You can find these sources using search engines. To refine your search, use Boolean operators in combination with relevant keywords.
However, exercise caution when using online sources. Consider what kinds of sources are appropriate for your research and make sure the sites are credible.
Look for sites with trusted domain extensions:
- URLs that end with .edu are educational resources.
- URLs that end with .gov are government-related resources.
- DOIs often indicate that an article is published in a peer-reviewed, scientific article.
Other sites can still be used, but you should evaluate them carefully and consider alternatives.
Frequently asked questions about finding sources
How do I find scholarly sources?
It is important to find credible sources and use those that you can be sure are sufficiently scholarly.
- Consult your institute’s library to find out what books, journals, research databases, and other types of sources they provide access to.
- Look for books published by respected academic publishing houses and university presses, as these are typically considered trustworthy sources.
- Look for journals that use a peer review process. This means that experts in the field assess the quality and credibility of an article before it is published.
How do I search research databases efficiently?
When searching for sources in databases, think of specific keywords that are relevant to your topic, and consider variations on them or synonyms that might be relevant.
Once you have a clear idea of your research parameters and key terms, choose a database that is relevant to your research [e.g., Medline, JSTOR, Project MUSE].
Find out if the database has a “subject search” option. This can help to refine your search. Use Boolean operators to combine your keywords, exclude specific search terms, and search exact phrases to find the most relevant sources.
What is the difference between a scholarly and a popular source?
Scholarly sources are written by experts in their field and are typically subjected to peer review. They are intended for a scholarly audience, include a full bibliography, and use scholarly or technical language. For these reasons, they are typically considered credible sources.
Popular sources like magazines and news articles are typically written by journalists. These types of sources usually don’t include a bibliography and are written for a popular, rather than academic, audience. They are not always reliable and may be written from a biased or uninformed perspective, but they can still be cited in some contexts.
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Ryan, E. [2022, November 03]. How to Find Sources | Scholarly Articles, Books, Etc.. Scribbr. Retrieved December 5, 2022, from //www.scribbr.com/working-with-sources/finding-sources/
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