primary, secondary, and tertiary sources of information


Sources that contain raw, original, non interpreted and unevaluated information. Unlike articles and books, primary sources are often unpublished, and that can make them harder to find. biography (only if it's on an autobiographical record), biography (only if it's describing a biography--not an autobiography). Often scholarly periodicals and books. Many libraries subscribe to databases of primary sources. Examples include things like handbooks, dictionaries, encyclopedias, and textbooks. This is a self-paced, non-credit course that covers research skills, critical thinking, media and internet literacy, and understanding the complexities of the modern information environment (including libraries. Sources that digest, analyze, evaluate and interpret the information contained within primary sources. The SIFT Method; Using Wikipedia Effectively; Fact-Checking Images and Memes; Conclusion; Types of Information Sources. Sources of information are generally categorised as primary, secondary or tertiary depending on their originality and their proximity to the source or origin. A second-hand interpretation? Long story short - Not all Gray Literature is Primary Sources, and not every Primary Source is an example of Gray Literature. Definition of a Secondary Source: Secondary Sources are accounts written after the fact with the benefit of hindsight. You will likely gain access to even more resources if you are able to visit the institution housing it in person. It’s normal to refine and revise your topic multiple times. They are interpretations and evaluations of primary sources. Some examples of tertiary sources: • almanacs and fact books • bibliographies These sources list, compile, digest, or index primary or secondary sources. Secondary sources may draw on primary sources and other secondary sources to create a general overview; or to make analytic or synthetic claims. 3 - Searching for Information Sources. [3] [4] Tertiary sources are publications such as encyclopedias or other compendia that sum up secondary and primary sources. Learn what primary, secondary, and tertiary sources are and how and when to use them in your research. They are generally written at a later date and provide some discussion, analysis, or interpretation of the original primary source. Knowing how to distinguish among them is an indispensable skill in academic writing. • materials in which the information from secondary sources has been "digested" - reformatted and condensed, to put it into a convenient, easy-to-read form. You may have noticed that there is an overlap between the topic of gray literature and the topic of primary sources. It looks like you're using Internet Explorer 11 or older. Chart One of this guide defines the different stages of the cycle of information. Generally it *does not* include significant original work on the part of the author, and it is often an overview of, or aid to finding, primary or secondary sources. Why is this important? For example, a research paper usually requires a combination of primary and secondary sources. Newspaper articles, weekly news magazines, monthly magazines, diaries, correspondence, diplomatic records. A tertiary source is a source that collects information from primary and/or secondary sources in one place, distilling, synthesizing or otherwise summarizing that information into a broad overview. Is it first-hand knowledge? This website works best with modern browsers such as the latest versions of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. Moreover, secondary sources often rely on other secondary sources and standard disciplinary methods to reach results, and they provide the principle sources of analysis about primary sources.