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*The Research Process: A Guide for GWC Students

Use library resources to locate and evaluate information for your class assignments.

Source Types

When evaluating information, it is useful to identify if it's a Primary, Secondary, or Tertiary source.

By doing so, you will be able to recognize if the author is reporting on his/her own first-hand experiences, or relying on the views of others.

Source Type Examples
Primary
A first-person account by someone who experienced or witnessed an event. The original document has not been previously published or interpreted by anyone else.
  • First person account of an event
  • First publication of a scientific study
  • Speech or lecture
  • Original artwork
  • Handwritten manuscript
  • Letters between two people or a diary
  • Historical documents, e.g. Bill of Rights

Secondary
One step removed from the primary original source. The author is reexamining, interpreting and forming conclusions based on the information conveyed in the primary source.
  • Newspaper reporting on a scientific study
  • Review of a music CD or art show
  • Biography

Tertiary
Further removed from a primary source. It leads the researcher to a secondary source, rather than to the primary source.
  • Bibliography
  • Index to articles
  • Library catalog

Tip!

To find primary source materials, one place to look is in the library catalog:

Tip!Try adding one of the keywords below:

charters

correspondence

diaries

documents

interviews

letters

 manuscripts

 oratory

 pamphlets

 personal narratives

 sources

 speeches

Video: Library Fast Facts: Primary vs. Secondary Resources

GWC Databases for Finding Primary Sources

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