Skip to Main Content

ENGL 1310: College Writing I

Class information for College Writing I

Instructional Videos

Primary and Secondary Sources

Primary Sources

      

Secondary Sources

Artwork

 

Article critiquing the piece of art

Diary

 

Book about a specific subject

Interview

 

Biography

Letters

 

Dissertation

Performance

 

Review of play

Poem

 

Treatise on a particular genre of poetry

Treaty

 

Essay on a treaty

 

Primary Sources

Primary Sources are immediate, first-hand accounts of a topic, from people who had a direct connection with it. Primary sources can include:

Texts of laws and other original documents.

Newspaper reports, by reporters who witnessed an event or who quote people who did.

Speeches, diaries, letters and interviews - what the people involved said or wrote.

Original research.

Datasets, survey data, such as census or economic statistics.

Photographs, video, or audio that capture an event.

 

Secondary Sources

Secondary Sources are one step removed from primary sources, though they often quote or otherwise use primary sources. They can cover the same topic, but add a layer of interpretation and analysis. Secondary sources can include:

Most books about a topic.

Analysis or interpretation of data.

Scholarly or other articles about a topic, especially by people not directly involved.

Documentaries (though they often include photos or video portions that can be considered primary sources).



When Is A Primary Source A Secondary Source?

Whether something is a primary or secondary source often depends upon the topic and its use.

A biology textbook would be considered a secondary source if in the field of biology, since it describes and interprets the science but makes no original contribution to it.

On the other hand, if the topic is science education and the history of textbooks, textbooks could be used a primary sources to look at how they have changed over time.

Information retrieved from:  Primary Sources: A Research Guide. (2016). In Healey Library at the University of Massachusetts Boston . Retrieved October 14, 2016, from http://umb.libguides.com/c.php?g=351019&p=2367357

 

How to Create a Gmail Account and Share Information

Create a Gmail account

To sign up for Gmail, create a Google Account.

Sign up for Gmail

It's free to create a Google Account. You can use the username and password for your Google Account to sign in to Gmail and other Google products like YouTube, Google Play, and Google Drive.

  1. Visit the Google Account creation page.
  2. Follow the steps on the screen to complete your account setup.
  3. After you've created your Google Account, you can use it to sign in to Gmail on your computer, phone, or tablet.

CREATE AN ACCOUNT

Share with specific people

  1. Go to drive.google.com.
  2. From your file list in Google Drive or from an open folder: Select the name of a file or folder. At the top, click Share Share.
    Tip: You can also right-click and choose Share.
  3. Under "People" in the "Share with others" box, type the email address of the person or Google Group you want to share with. Tip: Search for contacts by typing a name in the box.
  4. To choose if a person can view, comment, or edit the file, click the Down arrow next to the text box .
  5. Click Done. The people you shared with will get an email letting them know you've shared a file or folder.
  6. From your file list in Google Drive or from an open folder: Select the name of a file or folder. At the top, click Share Share.
    Tip: You can also right-click and choose Share.

Share using a link

To share something with more than one person without entering individual email addresses, you can create a link that allows anyone to open it.

  1. Go to drive.google.com.
  2. Select the name of a file or folder.
  3. At the top, click Get shareable link .
  4. In the corner, make sure the switch is green and to the right. A file link will be copied to your clipboard.
  5. Paste the link in an email or anyplace you want to share it.
    • To change whether a person can view, comment, or edit the file, click Sharing settings.

To stop sharing a file:

  1. At the top, click Get shareable link .
  2. Next to "Link sharing on", click the switch.

Additional Links

top