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Chemistry & Biochemistry

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Dataset

Digital Archives

Grey Literature

Multi-Media

Open Databases

Evaluating for Source Type

Different assignments and research interests all require different types of sources. Sources can be categorized as primary, secondary, or tertiary sources.

Primary Sources

Primary sources are first-hand accounts of an event or topic, created by people directly connected to it.

Examples of primary sources include:

  • Original research
  • Datasets
  • Diaries, speeches, and correspondence
  • Photographs, video, and audio
  • Interviews
  • Autobiographies
  • Original documents, like texts of laws

Secondary Sources

Secondary sources interpret, evaluate, or analyze primary sources.

Examples of secondary sources include:

  • Books and articles that interpret and/or review research works
  • Documentaries (though they often contain primary sources)
  • Textbooks
  • Histories and biographies
  • Literary criticism and interpretation
  • Political analyses and commentaries

Tertiary Sources

Tertiary sources index, abstract, organize, and otherwise compile other sources. 

Examples of tertiary sources include:

  • Bibliographies
  • Indexes
  • Abstracts
  • Encyclopedias
  • Other reference sources