For instance, an analysis of Alfred Hitchcock’s films would focus on the films themselves as a primary source, but might also cite commentary from critics. As a result, the article may distort, sensationalize, or misinterpret the scientists’ findings.Įven if your paper is largely based on primary sources, you may use secondary sources to develop your ideas. For instance, a popular magazine article on junk food addiction might be several steps removed from the original scientific study on which it is loosely based. These sources are more reliable and add more value to your paper than sources that are further removed from primary research. If you are not analyzing a text or conducting your own field research, you will need to use secondary sources extensively.Īs much as possible, use secondary sources that are closely linked to primary research, such as a journal article presenting the results of the authors’ scientific study or a book that cites interviews and case studies. For example, the interviews may provide interesting responses that you want to share with your reader.įor some assignments, it makes sense to rely more on secondary sources than primary sources. And, of course, if you take the time to design and conduct your own field research, such as a survey, a series of interviews, or an experiment, you will want to discuss it in detail. If you are writing about a work (including non-print works, such as a movie or a painting), it is crucial to gather information and ideas from the original work, rather than rely solely on others’ interpretations. Here are a few examples:Ī paper for a literature course analyzing several poems by Emily DickinsonĪ paper for a political science course comparing televised speeches delivered by two candidates for prime ministerĪ paper for a communications course discussing gender bias in television commercialsĪ paper for a business administration course that discusses the results of a survey the writer conducted with local businesses to gather information about their work from home and flextime policiesĪ paper for an elementary education course that discusses the results of an experiment the writer conducted to compare the effectiveness of two different methods of mathematics instructionįor these types of papers, primary research is the main focus. Any paper that analyzes a primary text or presents the writer’s own experimental research falls in this category. Some types of research papers must use primary sources extensively to achieve their purpose. How you balance primary and secondary source material in your paper will depend on the topic and assignment. They present a writer’s analysis or interpretation of primary source materials. Secondary sources are one step removed from primary sources. Recall that primary sources present firsthand information. The first section of this chapter will introduce you to broad concepts associated with adding support to your ideas and providing documentation-citations and references-when you use sources in your papers.Īs you write your draft, be mindful of how you are using primary and secondary source material to support your points. You will also learn strategies for handling some of the more challenging aspects of writing a research paper, such as integrating material from your sources, citing information correctly, and avoiding any misuse of your sources. In this chapter you are going to learn more about compiling references and citations.
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