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Many sources will be found using a computer and the internet, but that doesn't mean the source itself is a website. Sources you can find online include eBooks, journal articles, newspaper articles, magazine articles, blogs, etc. Always make sure to determine what type of source you are using.
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It's crucial to understand sources in order to conduct library research effectively.
All sources can be classified into three categories.
These sources are written for the average reader and general public. No special knowledge is required to understand them. They can be about any topic.
These sources are written by experts for experts in an academic or scholarly setting. They expect background knowledge and use specialized, high-level vocabulary. They often contain reports of research findings and original analysis.
Primary sources were created during the original event, such as letters, diaries, artwork, works of literature, photographs, etc. Students often create primary sources as part of their research, such as conducting interviews, observing places or events, and polling or surveying.
Secondary sources are a step removed from primary sources, or secondary to the original. They include analysis of and commentary on primary sources. For example, a poem is a primary source. A critical article examining that poem is a secondary source. Secondary sources help readers understand the importance or significance of a primary source.
Tertiary sources are another step removed from primary sources, or three spaces removed from the original. Wikipedia is probably the best-known tertiary source. These sources collect and combine information from primary and secondary sources and repackage it in an easy-to-read format. They are excellent sources for explainers and background articles to help start your research. Besides encyclopedias, dictionaries are another example of a tertiary source.
Not everything is a website despite our accessing all types of sources via the web. Specific source types are produced and packaged for specific audiences. For example, magazines are intended for a general reader, while journals are intended for an academic reader. Source types include books, news, social media, trade journals, and websites with each trying to fulfill different information needs. Check out our explainer slides below to learn more about specific source types.
The type of source you need depends on your information need,
Start here to get when you don’t know much about the topic to find basic information and get context. These sources help you find angles, search terms and approaches to your topic.
Current events
These sources help you clarify for your audience why they should care about your topic.
Data / Statistics
These sources help you demonstrate how your topic impacts and affects others.
Opinion
Most everyone has opinions that tell you what they think or feel. These sources can be useful to portraying lived experience and are easy to find.
Analysis
Analysis is credible and reliable interpretation of events, data, or research filtered through expertise and/or education. It can be easy to confuse with opinion; anyone can have an opinion about football, but a former professional football player or coach might offer in-depth, expert analysis.
Research
In college classes, research is the platinum level source. Research can be presentations of new information or facts from studies, investigations, interviews, or scholarship done by academics, scientists, scholars, or other researchers.
