Stafford Library Hours
Monday - Thursday: 8 am - 10 pm
Friday: 8 am - 5 pm
Saturday: Closed
Sunday: 2 pm - 10 pm
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These "step" pages have been adapted from that of Johnson & Wales University Library (Denver Campus) as well as from the Research & Learning Services Department of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Stafford Library has received permission to use and adapt these pages.
When evaluating the quality of the information you are using, it is useful to identify if you are using a primary or secondary source. By doing so, you will be able recognize if the author is reporting on his/her own first hand experiences, or relying on the views of others.
| Source Type | Examples |
| Primary A primary source is a first person account by someone who experienced or witnessed an event. This original document has not been previously published or interpreted by anyone else. |
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| Secondary A secondary source is one step removed from the primary original source. The author is reexamining, interpreting and forming conclusions based on the information that is conveyed in the primary source. |
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| Tertiary A tertiary source is further removed from primary source. It leads the researcher to a secondary source, rather than to the primary source. |
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What is a Primary Source?YouTube video by Geisel Productions Web Series. Alternatively, View Video on YouTube. |
