Evaluate Your Sources - ENG 493 / 494 - Seminar - Library at Western Colorado University

Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Sources

Primary Sources

Description:	Examples:
First-hand accounts of events. Original ideas. Empirical observations or research.	Diaries Interviews Letters Original works of art Photographs Speeches Works of literature

Secondary Sources

Description:	Examples:
Analyze and interpret historical events or creative works. Provides commentary on a primary source. Offers an interpretation of information found in primary sources.	Biographies Dissertations Journal articles Monographs Indexes, abstracts, bibliographies (used to locate a secondary source)

Tertiary Sources

Description:	Examples:
Presents summaries or condensed versions of primary and secondary sources. Rarely contains any original material.	Dictionaries Encyclopedias Handbooks

Samples

Subject	Primary	Secondary	Tertiary
Art	Monet's "Port-Goulphar, Belle-Île" painting	Critical review of the painting	Encyclopedia article about Monet
Literature	Jane Eyre novel	Article about portrayal of disability in Brontë's novels	Companion to the Victorian Novel
Music	O mie porpore più belle, RV 685	Article studying the tonal disjunction between arias and recitatives	Reference article from Grove Music Online about Italian cantatas

This page is modified from Virginia Tech's Library Website, Retrieved December 20, 2016. Link updated May 29, 2018.

Primary Sources

Description:	Examples:
First-hand accounts of events. Original ideas. Empirical observations or research.	Interviews Raw data Newspaper reports about events Notes (i.e. from a psychologist)

Secondary Sources

Description:	Examples:
Analyze and interpret conditions or events. Provides commentary on a primary source. Offers an interpretation of information found in primary sources.	Dissertations Journal articles Monographs News commentaries Magazine articles

Tertiary Sources

Description:	Examples:
Presents summaries or condensed versions of primary and secondary sources. Rarely contains any original material.	Dictionaries Encyclopedias Handbooks

Samples

Subject	Primary	Secondary	Tertiary
Anthropology	Interview with member of the Hopi tribe	Book about Hopi land disputes	Encyclopedia of Native American tribes
Psychology	Clinical case notes	Article about treatments for social anxiety disorder	Handbook of Psychology
History	Civil War diary	Article about the Battle of Antietam	Chronological Encyclopedia of the Civil War
Political Science	Geneva Conventions	Article about prisoners of war	List of treaties

This page is modified from Virginia Tech's Library Website, Retrieved December 20, 2016. Link updated May 29, 2018.

Primary Sources

Description:	Examples:
Scientists present results of research. Original documents. First-hand accounts.	Conference proceedings Interviews Journals Lab notebooks Patents Preprints Technical reports Theses and dissertations

Secondary Sources

Description:	Examples:
Analyze and interpret scientific research. Compare various ideas & theories. Summary of existing state of knowledge.	Monographs Reviews Textbooks Treatises

Tertiary Sources

Description:	Examples:
Presents summaries or condensed versions of primary and secondary sources. Rarely contains any original material.	Dictionaries Encyclopedias Handbooks Tables Compilations

Samples

Subject	Primary	Secondary	Tertiary
Environmental Science	Case study on sustainable energy	Book on sustainable practices in communities	Encyclopedia article about alternative energy
Chemistry	Chemical patent	Book on chemical reactions	Dictionary of chemistry
Geology	Research study on geology and sediment properties	Book on geology along the Gold Rush trail	Encyclopedia of geology
Biology	Research study about chemotherapy and lymph node dissection	Book on the biology of plants	Handbook of the biology of aging
Mathematics	Euclid's Elements	Book about Euclid's life & work	Handbook of Mathematics

This page is modified from Virginia Tech's Library Website, Retrieved December 20, 2016. Link updated May 29, 2018.

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