Answers

There are three main types of research sources: Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary. A primary source is original material created at the time of an event or by the subject you are studying. Secondary sources analyze primary sources. Tertiary sources index or collect primary and secondary sources. For more detailed explanations with examples, please see our guide Improve Your Research Skills.

The John Hay Library (Special Collections) is an excellent place in which to carry out primary source research.

We have created a tutorial to finding primary sources in the humanities on our Primary Sources guide.