Tertiary source

The term tertiary source [ [http://www.lib.umd.edu/guides/primary-sources.html Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Sources, UM Libraries] ] [ [http://www.library.jcu.edu.au/LibraryGuides/primsrcs.shtml JCU - Primary, Secondary & Tertiary Sources] ] is a relative term. What is considered tertiary depends on what is considered primary and secondary. A tertiary source may thus be understood as a selection, distillation, summary or compilation of primary sources, secondary sources, or both. [See, e.g., University of Maryland Libraries (2001) [http://www.lib.umd.edu/guides/primary-sources.html#tertiary "Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Sources"] ] [See, e.g. [http://www.lib.odu.edu/libassist/tutorials/nursing/glossary.html Glossary, Using Information Resources] . ("Tertiary Source" may be defined as "reference material that synthesizes work already reported in primary or secondary sources".) ] [ [http://www.library.jcu.edu.au/LibraryGuides/primsrcs.shtml "Library Guides: Primary, secondary and tertiary sources"] ] The distinction between "primary source" and "secondary source" is standard in historiography, while the distinction between these sources and "tertiary sources" is more peripheral, and is more relevant to the scholarly research work than to the published content itself.

In some contexts typical instances of tertiary sources are bibliographies, library catalogs, directories, reading lists and survey articles. Encyclopedias and textbooks are examples of materials that typically embrace both secondary and tertiary sources, presenting on the one hand commentary and analysis, while on the other attempting to provide a synoptic overview of the material available on the topic.

A different definition is used by the UNISIST model in which secondary sources are understood as bibliographies, while tertiary sources are understood as synthesis of primary literature.

ee also

* Research
* Historiography
* Source text
* Primary source
* Secondary source
* UNISIST model

Notes