II.C. FINDING SOURCES

     Now that you have your controlling question, you are ready to find sources. Sources are usually divided into two major categories: primary and secondary.

     Primary Sources. These are first-hand materials such as original documents, letters, diaries, and fiction.  Examples of primary sources would be the U. S. Constitution, a letter from John Adams to his wife Abigail, and the diaries that James Madison kept while attending the Constitutional Convention.  Short stories, novels, plays, and poems are also considered primary sources, such as the short stories of Edgar Allan Poe, the novels of F. Scott Fitzgerald, or the poetry of Emily Dickinson.

     Secondary Sources. These are works written about a subject by someone who was not directly involved with the subject.  Books discussing interpretations of the Constitution, biographies of John Adams, and histories of the Madison presidency would be secondary sources. Literary analysis and criticism of an author’s fiction would be secondary sources.
     Within each of these two categories there are many different sources to consider: books, magazines, newspapers, pamphlets, interviews, surveys, encyclopedias, letters, films, microfilms, television and radio discussions, audio and video tapes, and material acquired from computer services. You should use the kinds of sources that are most likely to contain the information you need.  When using any of these sources, it is wise to consider both the date when the source was produced and the point-of-view of the author.
     The date of the source gives clues about the amount of material that was known about the topic at the time.  An understanding of the point-of-view of the author (often acquired by reading the source) helps you to understand what information the author has chosen to include and to leave out; therefore, you can use care in selecting a broad variety of sources.
     If your subject is at least five years old, you will begin by consulting the card catalog or the electronic catalog in your school library and, perhaps, other libraries.  Consider all possible subject headings as you use the card catalog and other research tools.   For example, information about the history of photography would be found under the heading Photography.  However, you should also look under the headings Camera, Photographic Equipment, and the names of famous photographers.
     If your subject is less than five years old, you will want to begin by using the Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature or the computer magazine index in your library because your topic will not be handled in many books yet.  The Sears List of Subject Headings is an excellent source for ideas.  Also, if you are having trouble finding information or using a source, ask the librarian for help.
     As you begin to read, the authors will mention other sources and you will think of related categories to look up.  To find out whether a book contains material on your specific topic it is useful to scan the table of contents and the index.
    As you begin this process, you will not know automatically which sources to use.  Just pick something general and begin.  As you get a feel for the subject, you can begin to exercise some judgment about which sources fit your subject.  If you are a junior or a senior in high school and are writing a term paper, you will also want to make some evaluation about broad or narrow-mindedness of an author and whether that perspective will serve your paper well or not.  Scientific topics, in particular, force you to consider the copyright date of the material.
     Selecting sources requires judging their value.  If you are in doubt, take notes from a source.  Then decide whether to use it or not when your research is completed.
     Development of sources is an ongoing and creative process.  As you search and read, you will think of related categories to explore, and authors will often mention other sources.  Continue to make bibliography cards and be prepared to return to the library for repeat searches.