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                                                                    PRIMARY VS SECONDARY SOURCES

Solid research can make your project great! One of the most important things you can know is the difference between primary and secondary sources. A primary source is anything that was directly related to the event you are studying, or anything written by people who were a part of the event. Journals, newspaper articles from the time period, actual video footage and photographs from the event, etc. are primary sources. A secondary source is anything that was written at a later time. History books, documentaries, or interviews with professors or museum curators are usually secondary sources. Learn more about the difference by clicking here. If you can't decided if a source is primary or secondary, be sure to ask your teacher or a librarian.

WHERE TO LOOK FOR SOURCES

You will want to show the judges that you have done balanced research. That means that you have learned from both primary and secondary sources, but it also means that you have done more than just internet research. The internet can be a great resource for history research, but there are many other places to look. Don't discount a source just because it is old. Sometimes older sources contain the best information. Read books and magazine articles, visit museums, set up interviews with history professors or authors (either in person or via email), research in an archive...The possibilities are endless.

Of course, you will use internet resources as well. Visit the Resources Page of this website for links to many reliable online research websites. You will want to be sure that the websites you visit have accurate information. The CARS checklist will help you evaluate the websites you visit.

NOTE-TAKING

One of the requirements of an NHD project is that you create an annotated bibliography. In order to do this YOU MUST keep track of the sources you use. You might want to use note cards to do your research. You might want to keep a three-ring binder as a research log. You might wish to record your research on a document on your computer. How you record your research is up to you and your teacher, but be sure to keep track of the publishing information of every source you use, and be sure to record which source you used to take specific pieces of information from. Remember...any direct quote you use MUST be credited or it is considered plagiarism.  Here are some samples that might help you:

          NOTECARDS

          RESEARCH LOG

          DIGITAL LOG