Skip to Main Content

Library DIY

What are Secondary Sources?

Secondary sources interpret and analyze primary sources. Secondary sources reflect an author's opinion.

  • Biographies
  • Books
  • Criticism
  • Essays
  • Histories
  • Reviews

Examples of Secondary Sources

  • Biographies
  • Books that discuss or analyze a topic
  • Commentaries
  • Criticisms
  • Encyclopedias
  • Indexes and abstracts
  • Journal or magazine articles from previous research
  • Newspaper articles
  • Reviews of art, books, movies, etc.
  • Textbooks

Search Tips

Search Tips for Secondary Sources

To search for secondary sources, use the name of the subject and the description of the source. Examples:

  • "Ain't I a woman?" AND Review
  • "American Revolutionary War" and Book
  • "Harriet Tubman" AND Biography
  • "Sinners in the hands of an angry God" AND Criticism
  • Terrorism AND Book

How Do I Find Secondary Sources?

To identify secondary sources such as journal articles, books, dissertations, and more you can search the library's quick search.

You can also search using the databases on our A-Z database list.