Types of Sources

It is important to use a variety of sources for a balanced and complete view of your topic. When gathering sources, consider what type of information you need, what sources contain this type of information, and whether your assignment requires a specific type of source.

Reference sources are a great place to begin your research.

Books give a complete view of your topic.

Library databases contain reliable information in many formats.

OA sources are freely available  reliable academic sources.

Combined with other resources, search engines  can be helpful with current topics.

Popular sources are written for the general public, while scholarly are used in academic settings.  Which works best for your topic?

Primary sources are immediate first-hand accounts of a topic, while secondary sources are interpretations of that topic.  Which is best for your project?

Images, video, and audio are easy to find online, but did you know they are not always free to use, even for school projects? 

People can be a great source of information. When you question others to learn about a topic, it is called an interview.  

A survey is used when a researcher needs to collect data for a specified group.

In addition to the school library, HCS students can access digital resources from HPL with their school  ID number.

News sources are great for researching current issues.