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LIBS 350 - Interdisciplinary Skills

Fall 2025 - Prof. Georgina Hickey

Secondary Source - Finding Resources

A Secondary sStand firm book coverource is defined as:  A source that discusses a prior event from an academic or research or layperson perspective.  The key here is that the resource is from some time after the event. 

An example of this would be a book:

  • about the American Civil War or
  • an article in a journal publication discussing the importance of the Battle of Gettysburg. 

A book will NOT typically be a primary resource unless it is an autobiography, a compilation of letters or diary entries, or documents.  

Other examples of secondary sources:

  • Bibliographies
  • Textbooks
  • Commentaries
  • Review articles (book reviews, movie reviews, review of a journal article)
  • Literary criticism and interpretation
  • Political analyses

Let's try some library resources to locate secondary sources.  Click on a side tab to begin

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