Different assignments and research interests all require different types of sources. Sources can be categorized as primary, secondary, or tertiary sources.
Primary sources are first-hand accounts of an event or topic, created by people directly connected to it.
Examples of primary sources include:
Secondary sources interpret, evaluate, or analyze primary sources.
Examples of secondary sources include:
Tertiary sources index, abstract, organize, and otherwise compile other sources.
Examples of tertiary sources include:
Critically Analyzing Information Soruces
(Cornell University Library)
Evaluating Your Sources
(Princeton University Library)
Evaluating Websites
(Lesley University)
Evaluating Websites Worksheet
(Chabot College Library)
Webpage Evalutation Checklist
(University of California, Berkeley Library)