Service Alert
Primary sources are those created by direct observation. The writers were participants or observers in the events they describe. Primary sources include:
Laurie, Rozakis. Schaum’s Quick Guide to Writing Great Research Papers. 2nd ed. New York: McGraw, 2007. 38-39. Print.
Secondary sources consist of works written by a third party, providing objective commentary, interpretations, criticism, evaluations, and analysis published in books, government documents, journals, newspaper reports, newsletters, magazine articles, and others, about the individual or subject you are researching.
Lenburg, Jeff. The Facts on File Guide to Research. 2nd ed. New York: Facts On File, 2010. 29. Print.
Tertiary sources are based on secondary sources, usually written for nonspecialists. They include general encyclopedias and dictionaries, as well as newspapers and magazines like Time and Atlantic Monthly and commercial books written for a general audience.
Turabian, Kate L. A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations. 7th ed. Chicago: U of Chicago P, 2007. 27. Print.