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Q. What is the difference between primary and secondary sources? - Answers

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How do I cite information found within the text that is already cited by the author of the book I was reading?

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Purdue OWL: MLA Formatting and Style Guide

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MLA (Modern Language Association) style is most commonly used to write papers and cite sources within the liberal arts and humanities. This resource, updated to reflect the MLA Handbook (8th ed.), offers examples for the general format of MLA research papers, in-text citations, endnotes/footnotes, and the Works Cited page.

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Definitions

Primary Source

Original, first-hand account of an event or time period

Usually written or made during or close to the event or time period

Original, creative writing or works of art

Factual, not interpretive

Report of scientific discoveries

Results of experiments

Results of clinical trials

Social and political science research results

Factual, not interpretive

Secondary Source

Analyzes and interprets primary sources

Second-hand account of an historical event

Interprets creative work

Analyzes and interprets research results

Analyzes and interprets scientific discoveries

Examples

Primary Sources

Diaries, journals, and letters

Newspaper and magazine articles (factual accounts)

Government records (census, marriage, military)

Photographs, maps, postcards, posters

Recorded or transcribed speeches

Interviews with participants or witnesses (e.g., The Civil Right Movement)

Interviews with people who lived during a particular time (e.g., genocide in Rwanda)

Songs, Plays, novels, stories

Paintings, drawings, and sculptures

Published results of research studies

Published results of scientific experiments

Published results of clinical trials

Proceedings of conferences and meetings

Secondary Sources

Biographies

Histories

Literary Criticism

Book, Art, and Theater Reviews

Newspaper articles that interpret

Publications about the significance of research or experiments

Analysis of a clinical trial

Review of the results of several experiments or trials

Specific Examples

Literature
"Song of Myself" (Poem)

Journal article about the poem's historical importance

Psychology

Results of clinical trial to treat ADD by modifying diet

Book about ways to treat childhood ADD without drugs

Politics and Government
U.S. Census Statistics

Book about suburban population changes in U.S.

History
Recorded interview with Choctaw American Indian

Journal article about Native Americans who served in WWII

Social Science Diary of Anne Frank
Book about diaries kept during the Holocaust

Art
Photographs by Diane Arbus

Magazine article about 20th century female photographers

Websites of Primary Resources

The Library of Congress American Memory Project
AMP is a rich, searchable database of written and spoken words, sound recordings, still
and moving images, prints, maps, and sheet music that document the American experience.

The Historical Text Archive
HTA is a well-designed, searchable database with three sections: full-text articles
(also includes essays and photographs), ebooks, and links to other digitized primary resources.

Digital Collections: Michigan State U. Libraries and Digital & Multimedia Center
DC is a collaborative, ongoing project to digitize selected materials from MSU Libraries'
Special Collections. Browsable collections include Africana, American Radicalism, Applied and
Life Sciences, and History and Social Sciences.

Repositories of Primary Sources
A directory of over 5,000 websites describing holdings of manuscripts, archives, rare books,
historical photographs, and other primary sources for the advanced research scholar. Includes links to libraries and other
institutions with digitized primary resources.

Using Primary Sources on the Web
A brief guide to evaluating primary internet resources with excellent examples of specific documents
and image files.
By Susan Thomas, Evening and Weekend Librarian (sthomas@bmcc.cuny.edu )

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Primary Source Original, first-hand account of an event or time period Usually written or made during or close to the event or time period Original, creative writing or works of art Factual, not interpretive Report of scientific discoveries Results of experiments Results of clinical trials Social and political science research

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Our Town pre-research and annotation guide

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BEFORE READING: Our Town pre-research: This will be submitted by 7:30 am on...  Shmoop describes it as: Our Town is Thornton Wilder’s most celebrated play. It opened on Broadway in 1938, received a Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and went on to become one of the most frequently performed American plays...

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The Road pre-research and annotation guide

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We are a globally renowned resource that provides assistance with English to students, teachers, professionals, and organizations across the world. Our goal is to assist clients in their development as writers - no matter their skill level.

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Purdue OWL® - Purdue OWL® - Purdue University

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We are a globally renowned resource that provides assistance with English to students, teachers, professionals, and organizations across the world. Our goal is to assist clients in their development as writers - no matter their skill level.

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The Purdue Writing Lab - Welcome to the Writing Lab at Purdue

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Welcome to the Purdue Writing Lab web page. These pages contain information for Purdue students, faculty and staff using the Writing Lab on the West Lafayette campus.

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Turnitin creates tools for K-12 and higher education that improve writing and prevent plagiarism. Turnitin's formative feedback and originality checking services promote critical thinking, ensure academic integrity, and help students become better writers. Turnitin provides instructors with the tools to engage students in the writing process, provide personalized feedback, and assess student progress over time.