Watch the video below to learn about a common pitfall in searching, and consider alternatives in thinking about the search process.
One perfect source? (NCSU Libraries)
TYPES OF RESEARCH
Your instructor may require you to find primary, secondary or scholarly sources, or popular sources on your topic.
Primary Sources: Primary sources are the raw stuff of history. Examples of primary sources:
Some Primary Sources maybe be considered popular sources, but they are of the time that you are researching.
Secondary or Scholarly Sources:
These are the peer reviewed articles and scholarly books that historians write after they have worked with the primary sources -- and consulted other secondary articles or books.
Tertiary Sources:
These are sources that index, abstract, organize, or compile other sources.
Some reference materials and textbooks are considered tertiary sources when their purpose is to list or summarize information. Tertiary sources are usually not credited to a particular author.