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Many of your professors will send you to the
Library to find primary source materials. Primary sources are original
works. They may be published as a book, as a chapter in a book, within a
periodical article or on the Web. Here are some examples.
In the Humanities, which include history (read more about identifying
primary and secondary history sources), literature, music, art and
others, some primary sources are
- autobiographies, letters, diaries, eyewitness accounts
- poems, short stories, plays
- musical compositions
- paintings, sculpture, graphic art
In the Social Sciences, which include education, psychology,
sociology and others, some primary sources are
- tests
- empirical studies
- research reports
- surveys
In the Sciences, which include biology, chemistry, physics, geology,
mathematics and others, some primary sources are
- experiments
- theorems
- inventions
You will also be referred to secondary sources, which are written
about primary sources. Some secondary sources are
- interpretations
- criticism
- reviews
- explications
- critiques
Research tools in the Library will typically contain both primary and
secondary sources. Telling the difference between primary and secondary
sources is a judgment call on your part. Possible clues include
- the presence of a catch-word or phrase in the source record. See
those listed above (e.g. empirical studies).
- the date the source was written
- who wrote the source
Remember to ask for assistance as needed at the Research Assistance Desk.
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