| Discipline | Primary Source | Secondary Source |
|---|---|---|
|
Literature |
original poem |
book or article discussing a genre of poetry |
|
History |
diary, letters |
book or article surveying a topic or period |
|
Political Science |
treaty, government document |
article on the application of a treaty |
|
Art |
original artwork |
critique of the artwork |
|
Theater/ Film |
script |
biography of a famous director |
|
Sciences/ Social Sciences |
report of an original experiment, research data and statistics |
review of several related studies |
The bibliography and footnotes of a secondary source is a goldmine of information. They list all the primary sources and in depth, secondary research done by a scholar who spent a lot more time searching and compiling sources.
Searching for a primary source as you begin your research is very difficult. Finding an appropriate source may take time, but let your research sources tell you about primary source possibilities and then begin the search now knowing exactly what you’re looking for.
Many primary sources can be found online. Whether a science index, social science database, or digitized historical material, start with the resources available through the library website.
Our catalog is filled with books that have reprinted primary source material. If you do a keyword search for your topic and one of the words below, you may find something very convenient for you to use.
charters
correspondence
diaries
early works
interviews
manuscripts
oratory
pamphlets
personal narratives
sources
speeches
letters
documents
Beginning a research project with only a very broad topic?
Books have some valuable components that tend to be overlooked in the online environment that emphasizes journal articles. They can help you narrow your topic into a specific question by giving you background information and by synthesizing many journal articles. No one ever said that you had to read a book from cover-to-cover to extract information from it!
Use Google Books or Library Search with a limit to just books to search within the contents of books for more precise targeting and discovery.
After narrowing to a specific question, search for articles which will fill in with more current and particularized information.
| Books | Articles | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | In-depth, broad examination of a topic | Original results of a specific research question or experiment |
| Analysis | Deep analysis, broad historical perspective, synthesis of numerous research results and opinions | Single focus without much historical overview or context |
| Useful Segments | Table of contents, introduction, individual chapters, bibliography | Less specific segments, more a single snapshot |
| Publication Cycle | Lag time in publication means not as current | More current |
| Length | Longer | Shorter |
Book reviews can be very useful in a number of ways during the research process.
Magazines and newspapers with reviews of recent books.
Academic journals may have reviews of scholarly works, while long runs of newspapers and magazines will have reviews of popular books.