Skip to Main Content

A Research IDEA - Indianapolis

Start your search

Explore the library's collections. Our Online collections have magazines, journals, ebooks, as well as audio and video streaming. 

Choose from the collections listed below or check out the full list of our collections on the A-Z list.  Video tutorials can help you to make the most of your searching experience. 

Advanced Searching on Ebscohost

ProQuest Advanced Searching

Scholarly vs Popular Article

Examples of Scholarly and Popular Articles

What is a Primary Resource?

A primary source is a 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

Primary Sources on the Web: Finding, Evaluating, Using


Examples of primary sources include:

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 
Plato's Republic - Women in Ancient Greece 

U.S. Holocaust Memorial Database 

Testimonies of Auschwitz SS-Men 

 

What is a Secondary Resource?

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.

Some types of secondary sources include:

PUBLICATIONS: Textbooks, magazine and journal articles, histories, criticisms, commentaries, encyclopedias 


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 

Beyond the Auschwitz Syndrome 

A Frantic Effort To Nourish WWII Troops Led To This Common Breakfast Staple