Types of Sources
There are many types of sources you will find when you start researching, but two important types to know are scholarly and popular sources. Some professors will have requirements about what types of sources they want you to use for your assignments. Below is a quick rundown of the characteristics of scholarly vs popular sources.
Depending on the course and assignment, you may also be instructed to find primary sources. At the bottom of the page you will find information on the differences between and examples of primary, secondary, and tertiary sources.
Popular versus Scholarly Sources
Scholarly Sources
GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS
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Published in academic journals, not in stores
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Written for and by experts in the field
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Longer review process, may be peer-reviewed
STRUCTURE
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Abstract
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May include graphs, data, and/or statistics
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Includes a list of references at the end
USES
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Subject-specific information, research, and data
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How scholars communicate
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Quality and reliability of the information is much greater, particularly if it is peer-reviewed.
Anatomy of a Scholarly Article 
Images borrowed from Capalla University Library. For a complete visual explanation of scholarly journal articles, visit their website here.
Popular Sources
GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS
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Magazines and newspapers
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Broad, general audience
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Shorter review process
STRUCTURE
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Simple language
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Shorter than journal articles
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May include pictures, special layouts, and/or advertisements.
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Rarely include references
USES
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Current information and events
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Overview of a topic
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Human interest stories or convey emotional responses.
Primary vs Secondary vs Tertiary Sources
Primary sources are are immediate, first-hand accounts of a topic, from people who had a direct connection with it.
Types of Primary Sources
- Texts of laws and other original documents.
- Newspaper reports, by reporters who witnessed an event or who quote people who did.
- Speeches, diaries, letters, and interviews - what the people involved said or wrote.
- Original research.
- Datasets, survey data, such as census or economic statistics.
- Photographs, video, or audio that capture an event.
Find Primary Sources
Primary sources are often used in history classes. Here are a few databases you can use to find primary sources for your history assignments.
- Black Freedom Struggle in the United States This link opens in a new window
“Black Freedom Struggle in the United States: Challenges and Triumphs in the Pursuit of Equality”. A free, open resource for students, educators and others who are researching U.S. Black history. The site features over 2,000 curated primary-source documents related to critical people and events in African American history. Featured subjects: Slavery and Abolitionist Movement (1790-1860), Civil War and Reconstruction Era (1861-1877), Jim Crow Era from 1878 to the Great Depression (1878-1932), New Deal and World War II (1933-1945), Civil Rights and Black Power Movements (1946-1975), Contemporary Era (1976-2000s).
- In Context: World History This link opens in a new window
A range of topics such as Aztecs, Industrial Revolution, Silk Road, the Buddha, Space Race, and more provide a wide perspective across the globe. Rare primary sources, reliable reference, and multimedia content are aligned to curriculum and put this vast subject into context for students. World History is cross-searchable with Gale In Context: U.S. History for users with access to both resources.
- Ralph J. Bunche Oral Histories Collection on the Civil Rights Movement This link opens in a new windowThe Ralph J. Bunche Oral History Collection from the Moorland-Spingarn Research Center is a unique resource for the study of the era of the American civil rights movement. Included here are transcriptions of more than 500 interviews with those who made history in the struggles for voting rights, against discrimination in housing, for the desegregation of the schools, to expose racism in hiring, in defiance of police brutality, and to address poverty in the African American communities.
- JSTOR Archival Journal & Primary Source Collection This link opens in a new window
The JSTOR Archival Journals and Primary Sources Collection contains all licensed JSTOR archival journals and primary sources content in a single collection, including Archive Journal Collections and thematic collections; specifically, it includes Arts & Sciences I – XV, Business IV, Hebrew Journals, Ireland, Jewish Studies, Life Sciences, Public Health, Lives of Literature, Security Studies, and Sustainability journal collections. It also contains four primary source collections, 19th Century British Pamphlets, World Heritage Sites: Africa, Struggles for Freedom: Southern Africa, and Global Plants. This collection contains 2,877 high quality academic journals from across a wide range of disciplines and hundreds of thousands of primary source items.
- MasterFILE Premier This link opens in a new window
MasterFILE Premier provides full text for magazines, reference books, and primary source documents and an Image Collection with photos, maps & flags. MasterFILE Premier provides full text for over 1,800 general interest, business, consumer health, general science, and multicultural periodicals. In addition, this database offers indexing and abstracts for over 2,500 periodicals.
Secondary sources are one step removed from primary sources, though they often quote or otherwise use primary sources. They can cover the same topic, but add a layer of interpretation and analysis.
Types of Secondary Sources
- Most books about a topic.
- Analysis or interpretation of data.
- Scholarly or other articles about a topic, especially by people not directly involved.
- Documentaries (though they often include photos or video portions that can be considered primary sources).
Find Secondary Sources
- African-American History This link opens in a new window
This resource offers a fresh way to explore the full spectrum of African-American history and culture for the past 500 years. Hundreds of videos, as well as speeches, timelines, biographies, and countless informative articles are contained in this unique database. View the Topic Centers for specific subjects, such as the Underground Railroad, the Harlem Renaissance, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which include articles, sharable slideshows, videos and primary sources.
- History Reference Center This link opens in a new window
Full text for more than 1,990 reference books, encyclopedias and non-fiction books from leading history publishers. Covering both U.S. and world history topics, History Reference Center is a full-text database featuring historical reference books, magazines, journals and thousands of primary source documents.
- CQ Press Library This link opens in a new window
CQ Press provides the reference resources for research in American government, politics, history, public policy, and current affairs. Includes access to the following collections: Congress Collection, CQ Almanac, CQ Researcher Plus Archive, CQ Magazine, Encyclopedia of American Government, Politics in America, Public Affairs Collection, Supreme Court Collection, Supreme Court Yearbook, Voting and Elections Collection.
- De Gruyter This link opens in a new window
De Gruyter is a scholarly eBook collection covering many disciplines.
- SAGE eBooks This link opens in a new window
Sage Academic eBooks Explore the ultimate Social Science eBook Collection of over 5,000 titles, including books on nursing and health, media, communication, social studies, politics and leadership.
Tertiary sources are sources that index, abstract, organize, or compile other sources. They are used to list, summarize or repackage information. These sources are good for getting brainstorming ideas or to be used as a starting point. Tertiary sources are not good for citations in research assignments.
Types of Tertiary Sources
- Dictionaries/encyclopedias (may be secondary)
- Almanacs
- Fact books
- Wikipedia
- Bibliographies (may be secondary)
- Guidebooks
Find Tertiary Sources
- History Reference Center This link opens in a new window
Full text for more than 1,990 reference books, encyclopedias and non-fiction books from leading history publishers. Covering both U.S. and world history topics, History Reference Center is a full-text database featuring historical reference books, magazines, journals and thousands of primary source documents.
- Credo Reference This link opens in a new window
Credo Reference is a general knowledge database providing articles, images, charts, maps and other materials on thousands of topics. With 750+ searchable, full-text titles, Credo Reference places particular emphasis on subject encyclopedias, dictionaries, atlases, and reference handbooks. Also included are more than 1,100 short reference videos, more than 475,000 high-resolution art images, photographs, and maps across all subject areas.
- CQ Press Library This link opens in a new window
CQ Press provides the reference resources for research in American government, politics, history, public policy, and current affairs. Includes access to the following collections: Congress Collection, CQ Almanac, CQ Researcher Plus Archive, CQ Magazine, Encyclopedia of American Government, Politics in America, Public Affairs Collection, Supreme Court Collection, Supreme Court Yearbook, Voting and Elections Collection.
- Sage Reference This link opens in a new window
Start your research with authoritative encyclopedias and handbooks in the social and behavioral sciences. Provides access to hundreds of carefully selected reference titles on topics across the social sciences. Content includes handbooks, encyclopedias, dictionaries, and debates.