| Types of Sources | Definition | Characteristics | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary | Original documents created or experienced concurrently with the event being researched. | First hand observations, contemporary accounts of the event. Viewpoint of the time. | Interviews, news footage, data sets, original research, speeches, diaries, letters, creative works, photographs |
| Secondary | Works that analyze, assess, or interpret a historical event, an era, or a phenomenon. Generally uses primary sources. | Interpretation of information, usually written well after an event. Offers reviews or critiques. | Research studies, literary criticism, book reviews, biographies, textbooks |
| Tertiary | Sources that identify, locate, and synthesize primary AND secondary sources. | Reference works, collections of lists of primary and secondary sources, finding tools for sources. | Encyclopedias, bibliographies, dictionaries, manuals, textbooks, fact books |
Image Credits (in order of appearance)
Unknown. Victorious Youth. 300-100 B.C. The J. Paul Getty Museum, Malibu, CA. The Getty. Web. 7 Feb. 2014.
Kim, Eugene, and Philip K. Hopke. "Source Characterization of Ambient Fine Particles in the Los Angeles Basin." Journal of Environmental Engineering and Science 6.4 (2007): 343-53 ProQuest. Web. 7 Feb. 2014.
Mathat, Asa. Warren Buffett of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. and Interviewer Carol Loomis of Fortune. Photograph Flickr. Fortune Live Media, 4 Oct. 2011. Web. 7 Feb. 2014.
No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. Pub. L. 107-110. 115 Stat. 1425. 08 Jan. 2002 Web. 7 Feb. 2014.
McQueen, Alexander. Ensemble, Widows of Culloden. autumn/winter 2006-7. Dress of McQueen wool tartan; top of nude silk net appliquéd with black lace; underskirt of cream silk tulle. Courtesy of Alexander McQueen. Photograph. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Web. 7 Feb. 2014.