organization :: types

Secondary Sources

They are interpretations or criticism of primary sources such as:

1. Biographies,
2. Review articles,
3. General articles on specific topics,
4. Reports,
5. Monographs,
6. Magazine articles, and
7. Newspapers.

For example: Mrs. Jones (a journalist) interviewed people involved in the recently much debated topic of whether city A should build an airport in section X (a potential wetland area). She wrote an article analyzing both viewpoints. Although she made a point that both sides should be heard, she was more sympathetic to the opposition party. Her article reflects such a tendency in the concluding paragraph. Her article is, therefore, an example of a secondary source.