Intro to Research

Where to begin. . .

Things to Think About. . .

What kind of information are you looking for?

Facts?

Opinions?

News Reports?

Research Studies?

How much information do you need?

Where would be a likely place to look?

Traditional Print Sources

Books and textbooks

Newspapers

Academic and Trade journals

Government Reports and Legal Documents

Press Releases and Advertising

Flyers and Pamphlets

Multimedia (TV broadcasts, public meetings)

Internet-Only Sources

Web Sites

Weblogs/ Blogs

Message boards, discussion lists

Multimedia

Primary Sources Document or physical object which was written or

created during the time under study. These sources were present during an experience or time period and offer an inside view of a particular event. Some types of primary sources include:

ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS (excerpts or translations acceptable): Diaries, speeches, manuscripts, letters, interviews, news film footage, autobiographies, official records 

CREATIVE WORKS: Poetry, drama, novels, music, art 

RELICS OR ARTIFACTS: Pottery, furniture, clothing, buildings

Other types of primary research include: interviews, surveys or questionnaires, and observations

Examples of Primary Sources

Diary of Anne Frank - Experiences of a Jewish family during WWII 

The Constitution of Canada - Canadian History 

A journal article reporting NEW research or findings 

Weavings and pottery - Native American history 

Plato's Republic - Women in Ancient Greece 

Secondary Sources A secondary source interprets and

analyzes primary sources. These sources are one or more steps removed from the event. Secondary sources may have pictures, quotes or graphics of primary sources in them.

Examples of secondary sources include:

A journal/magazine article which interprets or reviews previous findings 

A history textbook 

A book about the effects of WWI 

How do you know if a source is credible?

Who is the author?

How recent is the source?

What is the author’s purpose?

What type of sources does your audience value?

Helpful Websites/ Places to find Sources

Google Scholar: http://scholar.google.com

JSTOR: http://www.jstor.org

South Lyon High School Library: http://destiny.oakland.k12.mi.us/cataloging/servlet/presentadvancedsearchredirectorform.do?l2m=Library%20Search&tm=TopLevelCatalog&l2m=Library+Search

Any .gov or .org website is usually reliable

If you find a source you like, look at what that source cites to find more sources!