A source is any work that provides information or evidence related to facts, events, or research. Depending on your research needs, you may use different kinds of sources. Sources can be print materials: Books, newspapers, encyclopedias, magazines, pamphlets, etc. They can be electronic: Online journal articles, e-books, social media posts, blog posts, etc. You may use audiovisual materials as sources: Photos, TED Talks, videos, music, podcasts, etc. A source can even be another person, like if you interview an expert or refer to a classroom lecture.
Any place where you find information can be a source. However, you may find that professors ask you to use certain types of sources. Some types of sources will work well for one topic, but not so well for another topic. What sources you use will depend on what you need for your research. This guide will explore how to identify types of sources, how to find them, and how to evaluate them to make sure you are using sources that are relevant and appropriate for your topic and assignment.
Scholarly and popular sources are two types of sources you may find and use in your research. They have different characteristics and purposes that will be reviewed in this section.
A scholarly or peer-reviewed source has been written by an expert in the subject (ex., a professor or other researcher), and has been reviewed and approved by a group of other experts (their peers). It is written for an academic audience and will usually present original research in a specific field. The NC State Libraries provide an interactive diagram of a scholarly article that you can view to see the different components. An example of a scholarly source is a research study published in an academic journal.
A popular source is written for a wider, more general audience, and may provide a more broad overview of a topic. The author is not necessarily an expert in the specific subject and is usually a general journalist or freelance writer. These articles do not go through peer review and may be edited by a single editor or editorial board. An example of a popular source is an article in a magazine.
The chart below goes into more detail about how to distinguish between these two types of sources.
| Popular Sources | Scholarly Sources | |
|---|---|---|
| Author/Audience | Written by journalists or freelance writers for a general audience. | Written by scholars or experts in the field for other scholars (including students) and experts. |
| Writing Style | Language is more general and simple, may explain key concepts and terms, does not assume the reader already has knowledge about the subject. | Language is more technical and complex, assumes the audience is familiar with key concepts and terms in the field. |
| Review/Editing Process | Reviewed by general editors. | Reviewed by experts or peer-reviewed. |
| Subject Matter | Often discuss current events and/or entertaining topics. One issue might cover many subject areas. | Report original research in a specific field of study. |
| Illustrations | Often have colorful photographs. | Often have charts and graphs showing data from a study. |
| Advertising | Have advertising, including for products and services that are unrelated to the article topic or field. | Has little or no advertising. Ads are typically for related journals, books, and conferences in the scholarly field. |
| Citations | Do not include citations or include few citations. Citations may be links to external sources and not in a formal citation style. |
Have both in-text citations and a works cited list, reference list, or bibliography at the end of the article. |
| Examples | Time Magazine, The New York Times, Business Weekly, Psychology Today | New England Journal of Medicine, Nature Geoscience, Quarterly Journal of Economics, Annual Review of Psychology |
At first glance, a scholarly article can be intimidating. To get the most out of your research, approach these articles strategically. You may not read a scholarly article from start to finish the same way you would a book. Instead, focus on some key sections to get a general idea of what the article is about, and then read it thoroughly.
The NC State Libraries provide an interactive diagram of a scholarly article that you can view to see the different components.
Most scholarly articles have an abstract, which introduces the topic and key themes. Read this first to determine what the article is about. Then, read the conclusion to get a summary of the article's findings. Next, go back to the introduction to see what the article will address and take note of what seems relevant to your research. Skim the rest of the article for headings or sections to see how the article is structured and what will be talked about in each section. Lastly, read the full article, paying close attention to those sections you identified as most relevant.
Take notes while you're reading of any themes, ideas, or questions that come up. The Sample Methods of Research Notetaking document linked below gives some suggestions for how to take notes while you're reading.
Note: This section is about primary sources used in humanities fields. The sciences use the term "primary research" to talk about reports of original research. See our Biology Research Guide for more information about primary research sources in the sciences.
You might be asked to incorporate primary source material in your research. A primary source is a first-hand account of a topic, event, or experience, created by a person who directly experienced or witnessed the event. This can include articles, interviews, photographs, memoirs, correspondence, diaries, government documents, and more. They are useful in research because they reflect thinking and experiences of a specific point in time, without outside interpretation or changes. When you are looking for a direct account of a topic, event, experience, or time in history, a primary source is a good place to look.
While we often talk about primary sources in the context of history, primary sources are created every day! A social media post, a blog, a news article, the notes you take in class - all of these are primary sources. They reflect what is happening in the moment from the point of view of someone living in that moment.
In research, you may analyze primary sources to make connections and draw conclusions that influence your research argument. When you are researching something new (something no one else has researched before), you will probably rely on primary sources because scholarly literature about your topic doesn't exist yet.
A secondary source is a source that was created after an event took place by someone who did not experience it firsthand. It may provide descriptions, explanations, or analyses of the event that took place. This includes books, biographies, articles, documentaries, and more. A secondary source will usually include citations and references to primary sources and will build off those sources to provide new analysis or information.
For example, a diary kept by a person emigrating to the United States about their journey and what they saw when they arrived in the country is a primary source about that experience. If that diary is then found by researchers and used to inform their study about immigrant experiences during the specific time period, the study they write about the diary is a secondary source. They are taking information from the primary source (the diary) and adding context and analysis.
Below are some examples of primary and secondary sources.
| Primary Source | Secondary Source |
| A TikTok of a college student showing what they eat in their college's dining hall |
A New York Times article about how college dining halls manage food allergies |
| An original manuscript of Little Women by Louisa May Alcott | A biography of Louisa May Alcott |
| A Reddit thread where people share advice on how to care for house plants | A scholarly article by a team of biologists about the role of volatile organic compounds in attracting pollinators to a specific species of tropical plant |
| An interview with a climate activist about their experience protesting a new pipeline | A documentary about the history of environmental activism |
| Statistical data from a survey you conducted with the population you're interested in studying | A report from the U.S. Census Bureau analyzing statistical changes in neighborhood demographics over time |