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Writing 10 (Ayik): Primary / Secondary Sources

College Reading & Composition

Newspapers

Newspapers are a great way to find primary sources. The Library has many newspaper databases.

To find information that is local to Merced, open Newsbank, a database with articles from a large number of newspapers.

Open Newsbank
Scroll down and select California (under the map)
Enter "Merced" in the search bar and select the Merced Sun-Star
Enter in any search terms

Primary Sources and Knowledge Creation

Lin, E. et al. (2010). New Modes for Organizing and Providing Access to Special Collections, Archives, and Digital Formats.

Examples

Primary	Secondary	Tertiary

ProQuest Historical Newspapers	JSTOR	Credo Reference



North American Immigrant Letters, Diaries and Oral Histories	World History in Video	Oxford English Dictionary

A Cycle of Revolving Research

http://library.ucmerced.edu/rpt/knowledge_cycle_8

What is a Primary Source?

A primary source is an original document or object created at the time under study.

Primary Sources (UC Libraries Tutorial)
view three slides for definitions and examples of primary, secondary, and tertiary resources
U of Minnesota Libraries: How to Find Primary Sources
Excelent definition of Primary Sources
Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Sources (VirginiaTech)
examples from the Humanities, Social Sciences, and Sciences

Primary Sources: Tutorials

UC Irvine: Introduction to Primary Sources
A basic explanation of what primary sources are, a description of the characteristics of primary sources, specific examples of primary sources, and an explanation of how primary sources differ from secondary and tertiary sources.
University of West Florida Libraries: Primary vs. Secondary Sources
Provides explanation and examples of primary sources.

Knowledge Cycle

"Section 2: Knowledge Cycle" of The Research Process gives examples of primary, secondary, and tertiary sources.

Research Process tutorial series