U.S. History: Where to Find Tertiary, Secondary, and Primary Sources

Tertiary sources generally provide an overview or summary of a topic and may contain both primary and secondary sources. The information is displayed as entirely factual, and does not include analysis or critique.

• Helpful for background information and understanding historical events, people, dates.
• Tertiary sources help you develop ideas and may lead  to primary and secondary sources.
  • Encyclopedias
  • Almanacs
  • Bibliographies
  • Chronologies
  • Dictionaries
  • Directories
  • Fact books
  • Guidebooks
  • Indexes, abstracts, bibliographies used to locate primary and secondary sources
  • Manuals
  • Textbooks

Secondary sources address or analyze events, people, works, or topics.

• Provides analysis and unique perspectives beyond background information.
• Check the bibliography for leads to other secondary sources
  • Books
  • Magazine articles
  • Newspaper articles
  • Journal articles

Primary sources are original artifacts or documents.

• Primary sources also offer accounts from participants or people directly involved in an event.
  • Speeches
  • Government Documents (Text of laws, treaties, court documents, etc)
  • Interviews
  • Data (census data, scientific studies, poll results, etc)
  • Letters and diaries
  • Magazines, newspapers, and journal articles from the time period of the topic . Check with your teacher if the article can be used as a primary source.

Search Tip: Tertiary and Secondary sources can lead to primary sources.

Click here for the National Archives eBooks collection that offers exhibit guides and books incorporating primary sources.