Need help doing research?
For best results, contact a librarian, or use the 24/7 Librarian Live button to the right. We've also got research guides and a list of common questions. If you've taken a library instruction session with one of our faculty librarians, you can also get another copy of your class handout here.
Frequently asked research questions:
I found the perfect information for my project on a website. How do I know I can trust it?
What's a primary source? What's a secondary source? (Humanities & Social Sciences)
What's a primary source? What's a secondary source? (Sciences)
Citing Sources - Online Guides
We've just added a ton (figuratively speaking) of e-books to the library. How do you find them? Same way you find any other book in the library: by using the library catalog. An e-book's catalog record will have a link to the e-book itself, which you can access from anywhere on or off-campus (if you're off-campus, you'll need to enter your ePass, just as for any other online resource). Here's an example of an e-book catalog record; to access the book, just click on the link that says "FULL TEXT: E-Book".
If you have any problems using e-books, please contact a librarian.
What is a primary source in the Humanities and Social Sciences?
A primary source is firsthand testimony. It is the words of the witnesses or the first recorders of an event. In general, it is created contemporary to the events and include: diaries, letters, manuscripts, archives, speeches, audio recordings, newspaper and magazine articles, photographs, original art, and maps. It also includes books that are firsthand testimony of an event. One place to look for online primary sources is the free website of In the First Person.
What is a secondary source in the Humanities and Social Sciences?
A secondary source is a description of an event based on a primary source. The original data has been distilled by a person other than the original witness. Researchers usually use a number of primary sources to produce a secondary source, thus synthesizing the information.
What is a primary source in the Sciences?
In the sciences, primary sources are articles written by the person who did the research/experiment and may include synthesis of previous research by others. Usually primary sources contain sections on experimental methodology and data.
What is a secondary source in the Sciences?
In the sciences, secondary resources are articles that talk about the research rather than reporting on the results.
-- Main purpose of the journal is to report on original research or experimentation.
-- Often contains many supporting graphs and charts but few glossy pages or exciting pictures.
-- Generally has a sober, serious look.
-- Usually has a list of reviewers (editorial board) inside the front cover or in the first few pages. (This type of journal is known as a "juried" or "refereed" journal.)
-- Author's name appears at the beginning or the end of the article. The author's credentials are listed.
-- Articles are written by a scholar in the field or by someone who has done research in the field.
-- Title of the article will reflect its content. -- There may be an abstract at the beginning of the article.
-- Articles always cite their sources in the form of footnotes and/or bibliographies.
-- Articles are organized into at least two of the following sections: Introduction or literature review; theory or background; subjects; methods; results; discussion.
-- Articles are indexed in subject oriented indexes (e.g., PsycLit, ERIC, Humanities Index, Physical Education Index, Religion Index, etc.).
-- The language used is that of the discipline covered. It assumes some scholarly background on the part of the reader.
-- Many scholarly journals, though by no means all, are published by specific professional organizations.
Examples of Scholarly Journals:
The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA)
Psychological Bulletin (published by the American Psychological Association)
Journal of Marriage and the Family (Published by the National Council on Family Relations)
Sex Roles: A Journal of Research
Journal of Educational Research
Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science
AN ETHNOGRAPHY IS:
* A FIRST-HAND, descriptive written account of a particular culture or group, focusing on a particular population, place and time, and all with the goal of accurately describing that culture or ethnic group.
* This first-hand account is produced through participant observation of the culture or group.
participant observation: the anthropologist lives over a period of time with the culture being observed, participates in everyday activities, speaks the language of the culture, and observes life within the group in its everyday context. An ethnographer will live in the community, talk to his/her subjects extensively, and observe the environment. The ethnographer will then derive his or her own conclusions from his/her research, based on his/her knowledge and theoretical framework for the project, and produce a first-hand, written account of his/her observations and conclusions.
* Can be long (book-length) or short (journal article or single book chapter), but they tend to be long.
* An additional resource with short ethnographies: Handbook of North American Indians (HNAI)
The Handbook of North American Indians (HNAI) is a multi-volume encyclopedia of the various peoples of the United States, northern Mexico and Canada. It features short works on aspects of Native American life and culture, including ethnographies, written by expert scholars and anthropologists. The HNAI is produced by the Smithsonian Institution's Office of Anthropology.
HNAI is located in the reference collection on the library's first floor at ref. E77.H25
NOTE: Not all entries in the HNAI are ethnographies. Some are short histories of a particular tribe, while others are descriptions of toolmaking, weaving, pottery and other skills. Read the entry carefully to determine if it is a true ethnography.
A commentary is a work devoted to the explanation, clarification, or illustration of the text of the Bible. Commentaries usually contain introductory material on each book of the Bible as well as a verse-by-verse analysis and extensive discussions of particular texts.
The primary function of a good commentary is to furnish an exact interpretation of the meaning of the passage under consideration. It also shows the connection of ideas, the steps of argument, the scope and design of the whole text.
Commentary authors are usually specialists. They may read the Bible in Hebrew, Greek, and/or Aramaic and so be able to explain the original meaning of a verse. Some authors are historians or archeologists so they can explain the context, history, manners, and customs of the people and times referred to. They may also include references to other sources for information about the text.
There are many different Bible commentaries. They run from 1-volume to huge multi-volume sets. Each commentary will reflect the biases and interests of the authors. You may want to compare and contrast the information you find in more than one commentary.
Some of the commentaries you might find useful are:
Anchor Bible ref. BS192.2.A1 1964.G3
HarperCollins Bible Commentary ref. BS491.2.H37 2000
New Interpreter’s Bible ref. BS491.2.N484 1994
