History what is a secondary source

Secondary sources: provide vital background information. Having as much knowledge as possible about the text or event about which you are researching is crucial. Familiarising yourself with what has been written about your topic will allow you to write more knowledgeably, inform you as to what others have said so you can avoid repeating ideas that are already out there, can be used to support your ideas or to show an alternative view. You can create an argument that shows all points of view.

What are Secondary Sources? This chart shows the distinction between primary and secondary sources: Primary Source Secondary Source History Bayeux Tapestry Book titled: The Battle of Hastings : sources and interpretations Anthropology Field notes Article in Journal of African cultural studies Literature Jane Austen novel Book title: Jane Austen's Literary Manuscripts: A Study of the Novelist's development through the surviving papers Politics Political cartoon Book titled: Philippine cartoons : political caricature of the American era, Note that science disciplines may define secondary sources differently.

Evaluating Secondary Sources Evaluation of sources is essential to scholarly research. Consider the following when looking for reliable secondary sources: Who is the author?

Are they a scholar in the field? What is the purpose of the text or motive for writing it? Does the writer have an obvious bias? What are the primary sources referred to by the author? What secondary sources are used by the author? Does the text have citations enabling you to check the author's sources.

For more information on evaluating sources in general and internet sources in particular, look at: Evaluating Information and Fake News Evaluating Webpages: Techniques to apply and questions to ask from Berkely University. Report a problem.

Subjects: How do I find. Tags: ABLE. Secondary Source. Galvan, J. Writing literature reviews: A guide for students of the social and behavioral sciences. Glendale, CA: Pyrczak. Persaud, N. Salkind Ed. Paul Vogt Ed. Third Edition. Weidenborner, S. Writing research papers: A guide to the process. New York: St. Martin's Press. Site People. Study and Learn. A secondary source interprets and analyzes primary sources. These sources are one or more steps removed from the event. Secondary sources may contain pictures, quotes or graphics of primary sources.

Some types of secondary source include: Textbooks; journal articles; histories; criticisms; commentaries; encyclopedias. For a historical research project, secondary sources are usually scholarly books and articles, but as you can see from this list there are other possibilties.

History of Science, Technology and Medicine Harvard Login is an index of books, book chapters, and journal articles. Some social sciences material is included.

Search results extend back to It also offers a browse of the Isis Cumulative Bibliographies PubMed Harvard Login for full text access is the National Library of Medicine's index to biomedical journal articles. America: History and Life Harvard login is the primary bibliographic reference to the history of the United States and Canada from prehistory to the present.