Primary vs. Secondary Sources
Primary source
In scholarship, a document or record containing firsthand information or original data on a topic, used in preparing a derivative work. Primary sources include original manuscripts, periodical articles reporting original research or thought, diaries, memoirs, letters, journals, photographs, drawings, posters, film footage, sheet music, songs, interviews, government documents, public records, eyewitness accounts, newspaper clippings, etc.
Secondary source
Any published or unpublished work that is one step removed from the original source, usually describing, summarizing, analyzing, evaluating, derived from, or based on primary source materials, for example, a review, critical analysis, second-person account, or biographical or historical study. Also refers to material other than primary sources used in the preparation of a written work.
Electronic Resources
- ProQuest Historical Newspapers This link opens in a new windowSearch all 51 ProQuest Historical Newspaper titles owned by the University of Illinois, representing 19 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, as well as titles from Canada, the UK, and India. Coverage spans the 18th century to the 2020s and includes important publications like the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Globe and Mail, and Chicago Tribune.
- Education Index Retrospective This link opens in a new window
Alternate version: Education Index Retrospective in the classic EBSCO user interface (best for exporting more than 50 results or combining saved searches). A bibliographic database of more than half a century of indexing from an international range of English-language periodicals. Subjects Covered: Adult Education, Arts, Athletics, Comparative Education, Continuing Education, Curriculum, Distance Learning, Educational Law & Litigation, Elementary Education, Ethnic/Multicultural Education, Government Funding, Higher Education, Juvenile Delinquency, Language Arts, Library Science, Literacy, Parent-Teacher Relations, Preschool Education, Psychology of Learning, Religious Education, School Administration, School Buildings, Science & Mathematics, Secondary Education, Special Education, Student Counseling, Teacher Education, Teacher Evaluation, Teaching Methods, Tests & Measurements, Vocational Education, War & Education.
- Readers' Guide Retrospective This link opens in a new window
Alternate version: Readers' Guide Retrospective in the classic EBSCO user interface (best for exporting more than 50 results or combining saved searches). Provides indexing of general-interest periodicals published in the United States and reflects the history of 20th century America.
Books
Your educator may have produced books or other educational materials that are still held in the UIUC library system. In order to find these, do an author search in the Library Catalog.
Subject Guide
Main Library
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