HISTORY FAIR

a document speech or other sort of evidence written created or

otherwise produced during the time under study.

Primary sources offer an inside view of a particular event.

Primary Source Document

ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS Autobiographies diaries, e-mail interviews, letters, Minutes news film footage official records Photographs raw research data speeches.

Examples of Primary Source

Art drama Films Music Novels poetry

CREATIVE WORKS

Buildings Clothing Furniture Jewelry pottery

RELICS OR ARTIFACTS

The Declaration of Independence — U. S. history

African-American Poetry (1750-1900) — U. S. history & literature

Diary of Anne Frank — experiences of Jews in World War II

film footage of the assassination of President J. F. Kennedy

National Security Data Archives — U. S. history ~ declassified documents

EXAMPLES OF PRIMARY SOURCES

Provide interpretation and analysis of primary sources. are one step removed from the original event or "horse'smouth.“

Secondary sources

Britannica Online encyclopedia (online) World Book Online American National Biography (database) literary criticism analyzing a play, poem,

novel, or short story magazine or newspaper articles about

events or people

EXAMPLES OF SECONDARY SOURCES

a reference to a published or unpublished source written in a specific format

Must “cite” all “borrowed” work◦ literary(written) works (which includes computer

software); ◦ musical works, including any accompanying words; ◦ dramatic works, including any accompanying music ◦ pantomimes and choreographic works; ◦ pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works; ◦ motion pictures and other audiovisual works;◦ sound recordings;◦ architectural works.

Citations

Several categories of material are generally not eligible for federal copyright protection. These include among others: Works that have notbeen fixed in a tangible form of expression (for

example, choreographic works that have not been notated or recorded, or improvisational speeches or performances that have not been written or recorded)

Titles, names, short phrases, and slogans; familiar symbols or designs; mere variations of typographic ornamentation, lettering, or coloring; mere listings of ingredients or contents

Ideas, procedures, methods, systems, processes, concepts, principles, discoveries, or devices, as distinguished from a description, explanation, or illustration

Works consisting entirely of information that is common property and containing no original authorship (for example: standard calendars, height and weight charts, tape measures and rulers, and lists or tables taken from public documents or other common sources)

See Legal Language Services http://www.legallanguage.com/resources/copyright/what-works-protected/

Which Works Are Not Protected by Copyright?

Must give the author credit Must use MLA format Put citation on “Bibliography”

More on Citations

Online Library Catalog Databases Internet

Finding Sources

Citation Machine KnightCite   World Books Citation Builder

 

Use Citation Maker of Citation Machine

Searching

At this point you are chosing a topic. You will need to review general information sources to learn about basic topic concepts and terminology.

You want to achieve a manageable focus so that the research project does not overwhelm you. If your topic is too broad, you will want to narrow it.

If a topic is too narrow, you may not find the information needed in time to complete the assignment.