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FYS: First Year Seminar

Introduction to the Common Campus Read at MSMU as well as the research process in general.

Source Types


What are the differences between Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Sources?

Types of Sources Definition Characteristics Examples
Primary Original documents created or experienced concurrently with the event being researched. First-hand observations, contemporary accounts of the event. Viewpoint of the time. Interviews, news footage, data sets, original research, speeches, diaries, letters, creative works, photographs
Secondary Works that analyze, assess, or interpret a historical event, an era, or a phenomenon. Generally uses primary sources. Interpretation of information, usually written well after an event. Offers reviews or critiques. Research studies, literary criticism, book reviews, biographies, textbooks
Tertiary Sources that identify, locate, and synthesize primary AND secondary sources. Reference works, collections of lists of primary and secondary sources, finding tools for sources. Encyclopedias, bibliographies, dictionaries, manuals, textbooks, fact books

Chart created by Loyola Marymount University Library

Primary vs. Secondary


Think you know the difference between primary and secondary sources?

Take this quiz to find out!

Databases for Historical Primary Sources

Websites for Primary Sources

Primary Sources at MSMU