Order 1258160: english

Research Notes

Sources should be found based on NEED and PURPOSE

1) Need – based on where you cannot fill in the ideas yourself

2) Purpose – Understanding what type of source will best fit my explanation

Types of Sources: Usually based on fact or opinion

What level of source do I need?

-Primary Source: Something first-hand created DURING the time/study

Ex. Live video/recordings, specific documents (or exact copies), autobiographies/diaries/memoirs, direct/unedited speeches, newspapers, journal articles, artifacts, photographs, art

-Secondary Source: Reviewing or Commenting on a first-hand experience AFTER the fact, using HINDSIGHT, INTERPRETATION (commentary and discussion) of others (ideas, data, etc)

Ex. Textbooks (depending on author), biographies, analyses, magazine/newspaper articles, dictionaries/encyclopedias

-Tertiary Sources: compiled ideas of primary and secondary sources, COLLECTIONS

-Ex. Almanacs, textbooks, fact books, chronologies, biographies

Example of P/S/T: Primary would be autobiography (writing it yourself), becomes secondary when someone else writes about you and you work with them, becomes tertiary when the writer has to compile info because you’re either gone or unwilling to work with the author

“Finding the Giggling Baby” – Diversifying our sources in terms of how much “control” we need to have in their explanation. The further away from “obvious” we get, the more explanation we need!

1) “Obvious” – We use sources that are difficult to own because we feel they are self-explanatory. Even though it’s tough to explain, we MUST make it refer back to our thesis Ex.

2) “Reach” – We have a source that is not clear (or maybe vaguely clear) to the audience, but with time and explanation makes perfect sense to them

3) “Finding the Giggling Baby” aka “Stretch” – Makes little to no sense on its own, but with clear, detailed explanation it creates a serious bond between you and audience (we end up seeing things the same way!)