Week 2 Primary and Secondary Sources

Matching Resources to an Information Need

1. I have to do a paper on biogeography but I don’t really know what that is. Where should I look for information and why?

Encyclopedia, Secondary Source - Used to get background information and the scope of a topic

2. I have heard that the climate is changing and some people say it is getting warmer. Where can I find information on the change in temperature?

Original Research of changing temperature, Primary Source - First hand account of documented temperatures.

3. I am a psychology major and I am going to be doing an internship at a group home. I hear that the young people who live there have problems with anger. Where can I find practical information from experts on how to intervene if someone gets mad and wants to fight?

Magazine articles, Secondary Source - Studies and research that have been done that confirm ways to intervene that actually work.

4. A professor is writing a grant to the National Science Foundation to get funding for a research project to study the effect of DDT on ground water. The NSF needs to know that there is a foundation of research on which to build this study. Where will the professor get the kind of information that will convince the NSF to fund the project?

Journal articles, Secondary Source - Other studies that have been done that report findings are not complete enough and more research needs to be done.

5. I heard on the radio that there are killer bees coming north from Central America. How do I find out if they are in Washington State, yet?

Newspaper articles, can be primary or secondary sources - Back up claims of events if there is an interview or story that is first hand account it would be primary, if it a story that is from many sources it would be secondary.

6. I have heard that there was a man who was president of the United States for one day. Where would I find out who that was?

Encyclopedia, Secondary source - Would be written by someone that was not present at the the time.

7. My instructor wants peer reviewed articles for my research paper. Where are those?

Peer reviewed journal articles, Primary source - As long as they are written by the person doing the research they are primary.

8. Where can I find some primary sources about the pioneers who came west?

Diaries, Primary sources - Shows actual accounts, written by people who participated in the event.

9. I need to know everything I can about honey bees. Where should I look?

Science magazines, Secondary source - They are written with information gathered from other sources.

10. What kind of costuming does Lady Gaga wear?

Internet, Secondary source - Information that was gathered from many sources and not from Lady Gaga herself.