How do I know if my source is a good source?
- Authority: Who is the author? What are credentials?
- Objectivity: Why was this article written? Is it scholarly? Persuasive?
- Currency: When was it written? Is it relevant today?
- Coverage: How in-depth is this material?
What is the difference between a primary source and a secondary source?
Primary Source: A document, speech, or other evidence written, created or otherwise produced during the time under study.
(Original publications, journals, letters, conference papers and proceedings, field notes, autobiographies, film footage, dissertations, studies, art, data, photographs, technical reports, patents)
Secondary Source: A restatement or analysis of a primary source, written after the fact.
(Critiques, summaries, reviews, textbooks, dictionaries, encyclopedias, biographies, bibliographies, indexes, abstracts, handbooks)
