You probably already realize that information comes in many different forms. But have you ever thought about how those different forms are classified? As a college student, you will need to recognize a few different types of information sources. All information is first divided into three main classes. They are:
Check out the information below to learn more. (Use the arrows to navigate.)
A primary source is created by someone with firsthand information about an event, location, discovery, or creation--or it contains their direct, firsthand knowledge.
Primary sources may include:
A person who witnesses a battle and writes about it is creating a primary source because that person has direct knowledge of the battle. An interview of that person is also a primary source because the interview contains the witness' firsthand knowledge.
A secondary source is created by someone without firsthand information of an event, location, discovery, or creation who attempts to analyze or reinterpret primary sources.
Secondary sources may include:
A person who reads firsthand accounts of a battle and then combines them or interprets how they are connected is creating a secondary source because that person has no direct knowledge of what happened at the battle.
A tertiary source is created by someone who assembles lists of information from firsthand or secondary sources to provide an overview of topics and create reference materials that do not contain new analyses or interpretations.
Tertiary sources may include:
A person who creates an encyclopedia of military battles containing brief overviews of each battle is creating a tertiary source as long as that person does not include any new analyses or interpretations of the battles.
Learn the types of "Common Sources" in this video.
All primary, secondary, and tertiary information can be subdivided into three subclasses, which are based on the field that publishes them. You will also need to recognize and understand these subcategories.
For more information on specific sources and their corresponding category and subcategory, refer to the box below.
The most common sources of information that you will use as a student include:
You can probably think of other sources of information. If you are uncertain as to how to categorize them, reach out to your instructor or an MCC librarian for assistance.
The MCC Library collection contains every source of information listed above, except social media posts. The collection is made up of both hard-copy and digital items. You can access the library catalog (and all digital items) by using the search feature on the MCC Library homepage. If you need help using the system, select the Chat with a Librarian option on the library's homepage to access our 24-hour chat support.
All images on this page (except image of woman viewing art) are courtesy of Adobe Stock. Woman viewing art image is courtesy of Cynthia Soll.
