research.html

Research on the Web

Types of Sources:

PRIMARY SOURCE- is an original work of a person. A primary source tells you a person's ideas in his or her own words. You can gather first-hand information about people, events, topics, or places that a person may have written about years ago. When you are a good researcher you become an eyewitness to history! When you use first-hand eyewitness accounts to help you write a story, book, paper, or film, you are creating a secondary source. Some examples of primary sources are letters, diaries, government documents, autobiographies, and memoirs.

SECONDARY SOURCE- is a secondhand account about people, events, topics or places that is based on what some other writer has experienced. Good examples of secondary sources are books, newspapers, pamphlets, encyclopedias and other materials in which information has been gathered for you. When you use first-hand, eyewitness accounts to help you write a story, book, report or film, you are creating a secondary source.

Where to Find Sources:

A secondary source could be found almost anywhere. A book in the library, an article in a magazine, an online journal, or a newspaper article are all examples of secondary sources that could be easily found. When conducting research, typically eighty percent or more of the information you have gathered will consist of information from secondary source documents.

A primary source is a little more difficult to find. Depending on the time period that you are researching on also plays a significant factor on the success of your findings. You can do an internet search on any search engine for letters, diaries, or government documents. Your results and findings will vary. In a library microfiche and microfilm is a great way to find primary sources for they are copies of old books, letters, and documents that were preserved and put onto film or fiche. Books, databases, and journals also contain primary sources or are ones themselves, however, like the internet, finding primary sources in these locations will vary.

Internet Locations Research Information:

United States Presidents

http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/

From the White House, an informative site about our 43 national leaders.

United States History

http://usinfo.state.gov/products/pubs/histryotln/

From the U.S. State Department, useful links for a variety of U.S. history topics.

World Leaders

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/world-leaders-1/index.html

Information on world leaders from the CIA.

Time 100: Leaders and Revolutionaries

http://www.time.com/time/time100/leaders/index.html

Variety of links for famous and infamous world leaders from Time Magazine.

Avalon Project

http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/18th.htm

In affiliation with Yale Law School, this is a great website for primary sources and documents in Early American History.

United States History Index

http://www.ushistory.org/

Many links and information for U.S. history brought to you by the Independence Hall Association.

European History Index

http://www.academicinfo.net/histeuro.html

Sections and links in this site include digital publications, Country Histories, European Union, World War I, World War II, Holocaust, Cold War, Archaeology, Cinema.

American Documents and Essays

http://odur.let.rug.nl/~usa/D/index.htm

This site is a great link for primary sources in an array of time periods for American History.

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

http://www.bls.gov/

Statistics may be important assets to back-up one's research and/or thesis.

High School Hub

http://highschoolhub.org/hub/hub.cfm

This sites includes homework help, current events, and various learning activities.

Note Cards Requirements:

Consult a reliable source
Determine from your sources what information is needed and relevant for your interview
Record your information from your sources on note cards, tablet, or notebook
Make sure to have a bibliographic citation for your source as your are obtaining your information
You should have at least six pieces of information from your source, if you cannot find at least six, consult another source

Sample Note Card