Part IV: Classifying the Resources

THE QUINDARO RESEARCH PROJECT

PART IV: CLASSIFYING THE RESOURCES

Sources used for historical research are divided into two major categories: primary and secondary sources. Primary sources are accounts of events from the time in which they hapened such as those contained in letters and diaries and newspapers. Secondary sources are accounts written by someone who wasn't there such as in your history book. Good secondary resources rely on primary sources, and often are places where researchers can find primary source accounts

The advantages of oral history is that it preserves the accounts that otherwise would have been lost. The disadvantage is that in the telling and retelling of an event, the event can become embellished. On the other hand, the same advantage and problem is present in written resources as well.

Newspapers present a problem in that they are written in the time period in which the events took place, but the reporting of the events can suffer from the biases of the time as well as being selective in their coverage. Place them within the secondary source box.

Look back at the sources used in the research project so far and classify them as primary, secondary, written, and oral. There will be much overlapping and within one type of source, you may find another. Use the chart below to classify the sources used.

Primary Source

Secondary Source

Written Source

Oral Source

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Primary Source	Secondary Source
Written Source	Oral Source