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Primary vs Secondary Sources
Types of Sources
Primary Source
- Reports original research
- Results of experiments
- Reports on new discovery
- Results of clinical trials
Secondary Source
- Reports and analyzes previous results without adding new data
- Editorializes on information from previously published paper
- Interprets previous study
Tertiary Source
- Compiles secondary sources
- Creates a synopsis about a topic
Examples
Primary Source
- Published results of an experiment or clinical trial
- Published results of a research study or natural observation
- Proceedings of a Conference or Meeting
Secondary Source
- News article reporting on an experiment
- Review of a series of articles on a given topic
- Editorial article
Tertiary Source
- Encyclopedia articles
- Textbooks
Search for Books, Videos, etc.
Search CONSORT and OhioLINK for books and other materials containing information about your topic. Items requested from other libraries will be delivered to the Circulation desk in 3-5 days. If you cannot find what you need in those catalogs, try WorldCat (but remember that you will need to fill an Interlibrary Loan form when requesting from WorldCat).
FirstSearch WorldCat
Denison Libraries, 100 W College, Granville, Ohio 43023
Phone: 740-587-6235, email: reference@denison.edu
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