SOURCES

SOURCES

KINDS:

PRIMARY

- Original material
- Basis for others work
- First-hand evidence
- Ex.: Surveys and academic researches

- "Raw data"
- Discoveries
- Text studied
- Used to test hypothesis
- Authoritative

SECONDARY

- Analyze primary ones
- Expand information
- New contributions
- Reformulate hypothesis
- Ex.: books, articles

- Solve problems
- For scholarly and
professional audiences.
- Support arguments
- Analyze and interpret information
- Persuasive

TERTIARY

- Organize primary and secondary
- No new information
- Ex.: Abstracts, dictionaries, textbooks

- Synthesize primary and secondary
- For general readers

OTHER KINDS:

POPULAR SOURCES

- Full of photos
- For entertainment
- Public in general
- Subjectivity and opinions

SCHOLARY SOURCES

- Focus on academy
- Written by specialist
- Full of scientific information
- Objectivity and reliable facts

PEOPLE AS A SOURCE

- Receive memories
- Collect opinions
- Be ethical
- Ex.: interview, survey, experiment.

SEARCHING SOURCES

- LIBRARIES
- EXPERTS SUPPORT
- CATALOGS
- ONLINE DATABASES

READING TECHNIQUES

- Prowl the stacks
- Skimming
- Scaning
- Comprehensive reading

DEFINITION

Something or someone that
can give us information

ANALIZE BY

RELEVANCE

Is it relevant or important?

- Relevant bibliography
- Skim important parts:
Abstract, introduction,
conclusions, so on.

RELIABILITY

Is it accruate?
or pre-reviewed?

- Be skeptical
- Scholar authors
- Up-to-date
- Cited before

Websites
organizations

RELIABLE
ORGANIZATIONS

- "edu"
- "gov"
- "org"

NOT AT ALL

- "com"

DEPENDS ON THE
DISCIPLINE

REFERENCES:
Booth, Wayne C. (2008). "The Craft of Research." Chapter 5, p. 68-83; Chicago: University of Chicago Press.