Identify Primary, Secondary, Tertiary Sources

Hello! This guide explains what primary, secondary, and tertiary sources are. It includes advice for:

• Defining what primary, secondary, and tertiary sources are in order to distinguish and identify sources by their characteristics.

• Determining the most appropriate source type for your research need in order to provide the best possible support for your argument.

• Incorporating primary, secondary, and tertiary sources into your writing.

• A primary/secondary/tertiary source in the humanities or social sciences will look different from a primary/secondary/tertiary source in the sciences or medicine.

• Depending on the research topic, any object or source--including secondary and tertiary sources--can be used as a primary source.