Table of ContentsWhat are Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Sources?Primary sources are sources written by someone who experienced the conditions or situations that they are writing about. Examples of primary sources include letters, diaries, photographs, speeches, etc. Secondary sources are sources written by someone who did not experience the situation or conditions that they are writing about. Common examples include textbooks, biographies, encyclopedias etc. Although most secondary sources can be used as credible sources, encyclopedias cannot. In most cases, encyclopedias are simply summarizing the research of others, not stating new opinions or providing new research on a topic. Note that encyclopedias count as both secondary sources and tertiary sources.Tertiary sources compile primary and secondary sources and should not be used as credible sources. Examples of tertiary sources include Wikipedia, Encyclopedia Brittanica, almanacs, etc.Why shouldn't I use tertiary sources?How can I use secondary or tertiary sources for research?Use Credible SourcesUsing credible sources is essential to creating a reliable and believable annotation. An effective annotation provides evidence for the connections it makes and the topics it talks about. Check out the annotations below for more information on what makes a credible source:Characteristcs of Credible SourcesRecent Publication DateCredible AuthorSources Cited in SourceDomain ExtensionLittle BiasWell-Designed WebsiteExample of annotations that use credible and non-credible sourcesFinding Credible SourcesNow that you know what makes a credible source credible, it's time to find some credible sources. Several different tools help to find credible sources, the most helpful of which are recorded below:
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