To support your scholarly research efforts, this LibGuide will help you identify and differentiate between primary, secondary and tertiary sources of information. You will find explanations and examples of each type of source, with helpful links often provided.
Source of Image: "Rosetta Stone" by Christian Theological SeminaryImage Library of Christian Theological Seminaryhttp://www.cts.edu/ImageLibrary/Images/July%2012/rosetta1.jpg. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rosetta_Stone.jpg#/media/File:Rosetta_Stone.jpg
Use Google Scholar to find academic-quality information (articles, papers, reports) on the Web.
This guide explains different research source types (primary, secondary and tertiary) and presents CORE and Internet resources exemplifying each. Often, links to illustrations and examples supportive of learning are provided.
OPTION: Watch a video summary HERE.
Source: The David L. Rice Library
In this guide, topic sections, each with its own tab above, are as follows:
IMPORTANT NOTE: What is considered a primary, secondary or tertiary source can vary, depending on the discipline. Examples and further explanation follow.
To those studying history:
PRIMARY SOURCE: Ben Franklin's letters
Franklin wrote in his diary over 200 years ago. It's an original document dating from Franklin's time. It's a PRIMARY source. The biography of Franklin was written two centuries later. It's a SECONDARY source, possibly based in part on primary sources. The short encyclopedia distills any number of primary and secondary sources into a short survey article on Franklin, making it a TERTIARY source.
To those studying art:
PRIMARY SOURCE: A painting by Renoir
The painting is an original work, done by Renoir in his time, making it a PRIMARY source. Written many years later, the contemporary book commenting on Renoir's art is a SECONDARY source. The art encyclopedia has many articles, One article, which draws from many sources, is about Renoir. This encyclopedia is a TERTIARY source.