Final Project

Secondary Sources

What are Secondary Sources?

 Secondary sources are accounts of historical events written after the event took place and by

individuals who did not personally witness them.

 They are based on primary sources and backed up by other secondary sources.

 Often, the term “secondary source” is used interchangeably with the terms “academic source” or

“scholarly source.”

 You should usually interpret instructions that ask for secondary sources as asking you for a peer-

reviewed journal article or book.

Where do I find Secondary Sources?

 Secondary sources are the product of the

analyses of primary sources, with context

provided by secondary sources.

 They are generally written by professional

historians or students to build on the work

of other historians.

 The best place to find secondary sources for

your work is the Ashford University

Library.

What separates a Secondary Source from a

Primary Source?

 Secondary sources and memoirs and oral history interviews are all created after a historical event

happened.

 The important difference is that secondary sources are not first-hand accounts, like memoirs or

oral history interviews.

What about textbooks and encyclopedias? Are they Secondary Sources?

 Textbooks, encyclopedias and other reference works, and most documentaries and educational

websites are not secondary sources because they are based only on secondary sources. They are

called tertiary sources.

 Although they provide some good general information that can help students begin the research

process, they are generally not acceptable for use in university-level work.