Information SourcesPointers

LBRY 3020 2/13/12

Scholarly Sources

• Written for professors, students, academics

• Written by scholars

• Peer reviewed aka refereed, 1-12 times a year

• Looks like: Dense text, no ads, many pages

• Articles: Signed, credentials, tech language, endnotes, works cited, specific sections

• Examples: College & Research Libraries, Ethnomusicology, Journal of Gender Studies, Nature

Popular Sources

• Written for the general public

• Written by professional writers

• Not peer-reviewed, new issues are frequent

• Looks like: glossy, lots of ads and pictures

• Articles: May be unsigned, short, simple, current events, usually under 10 pages

• Examples: Newsweek, Ms., New York Times, Psychology Today, Art News

Primary SourcesA primary source is a document or physical object which was written or created during the time under study. These sources were present during an experience or time period and offer an inside view of a particular event. First-hand evidence.

ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS: Diaries, speeches, manuscripts, letters, interviews, news film footage, autobiographies, official records

CREATIVE WORKS: Poetry, drama, novels, music, art, photographs

ARTIFACTS: Pottery, furniture, clothing, buildings

Some additional keywords to search: Personal narratives, Letters, Early worksManuscripts, transcripts, Correspondence

Adapted from http://www.princeton.edu/~refdesk/primary2.html

Secondary Sources

• A secondary source interprets and analyzes primary sources. These sources are one or more steps removed from the event. Secondary sources may have pictures, quotes or graphics of primary sources in them.

• Examples include: A journal or magazine article which interprets or reviews previous findings, textbooks, histories, criticisms, commentaries, encyclopedias

Adapted from: http://www.princeton.edu/~refdesk/primary2.html

Credibility

• Who wrote it?

• What is it?

• When was it written?

• Where was it written?

• Why was it written?

• How was it written?