HMW9 - French Revolution: 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.

• Can also be collections of primary and secondary sources, such as databases, bibliographies and directories

•  Great for background and understanding historical events, people, dates. Tertiary sources help you develop ideas and lead you to primary and secondary sources

  • Encyclopedias (may also be secondary);
  • Almanacs;
  • Bibliographies;
  • Chronologies;
  • Dictionaries; 
  • Directories;
  • Fact books;
  • Guidebooks;
  • Indexes, abstracts, bibliographies used to locate primary and secondary sources;
  • Manuals;
  • Textbooks (also be secondary)

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

• Provides background information, analysis, and unique perspectives
• Check the bibliography for leads to primary and  more secondary sources

• Newspaper articles
• Journal and magazine articles
• Books

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.