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HIST: U.S. History

Topic Guide

Types of Sources

Type of Source Definition Examples
START: Reference Source
  • type of Secondary Source
  • offers a summary or review of a subject
  • Dictionary
  • Encyclopedia
THEN: Secondary Source
  • written by someone who did not witness the event
  • created by interpreting and analyzing Primary Sources
  • Textbooks
  • Histories
FINISH: Primary Source
  • eyewitness account of an event/place etc.
  • Letters
  • Autobiographies

How to find a book on the shelf