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HIST 137: Coming to America: Global Migration and the History of Multiethnic America

What is a secondary source?

Secondary sources analyze, describe, discuss, or summarize primary sources. In general, a secondary source is one or more steps removed from the event, time period, or person being discussed, and are written after the fact with the benefit of hindsight. Secondary sources can include:

  • Biographies
  • Reference sources like dictionaries or encyclopedias
  • Literature reviews
  • Works of criticism or interpretation as in many scholarly articles

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Characteristics:

  • Cover numerous topics
  • May contain multiple types of sources (e.g. popular, trade, scholarly)
  • Audience = educated readership

Examples:

Characteristics:

  • Pertain to a particular discipline
  • Often contain scholarly sources, known as peer-reviewed articles
  • Articles are written and reviewed by experts in the field
  • Academic audience
  • Showcase original research

Examples: