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English: Primary, Secondary, Tertiary Sources

Primary, Secondary, Tertiary (Reference) Sources for English and American Literature

Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Sources

It can sometimes be difficult to determine if a source is primary, secondary, or tertiary. These designations can change based on the research question that is being asked, but generally the source types adhere to the categories listed in the table below.

Searching InfoHawk+ is the best place to start your search for sources. 

Contact your librarian if you need help figuring out source types for your research!

Source Types

Table of primary, secondary, and tertiary source types