Research: Resources & Strategies

Get Organized!

• Resources Passwords (for at-home use)

• Online Resources

• Smart Searching Tips for Google

• Credible Source Checklist

• Primary vs. Secondary Sources

• Note-Taking Close Reading Strategies

• Noodletools

Research Strategy

In addition to the NHD Resources, Odessa Shannon MS is providing additional resources below. 

• The Reference Sources are a great starting point to get a broad overview of a variety of topics. Once you narrow it down to your chosen topic, use the Reference Sources to find basic information.

• When you are ready to go deeper into your chosen topic, you can move on to the Online Databases. These will give you more specific research articles.

• Finally, move on to the Reputable Websites to add further depth to your research.

Primary Sources Vs. Secondary Sources

Primary Sources

A primary source is a piece of information about a historical event or period in which the creator of the source was an actual participant in or a contemporary of a historical moment. The purpose of primary sources is to capture the words, the thoughts and the intentions of the past. Primary sources help you to interpret what happened and why it happened.

Examples of primary sources include: documents, artifacts, historic sites, songs, or other written and tangible items created during the historical period you are studying.

Secondary Sources

A secondary source is a source that was not created first-hand by someone who participated in the historical era. Secondary sources are usually created by historians, but based on the historian’s reading of primary sources. Secondary sources are usually written decades, if not centuries, after the event occurred by people who did not live through or participate in the event or issue. The purpose of a secondary source is to help build the story of your research from multiple perspectives and to give your research historical context.