1. Primary or Secondary?
Identifying Primary Sources
9/24/2012 E. Carey Santa Barbara City College Luria Library

2. Topic: The politics of black hair
Source: A video on YouTube in which a woman provides tips on
dealing with the practical and emotional aspects of
transitioning hair from relaxed to natural
http://youtu.be/nr8GbJNJ2jM
Primary source
9/24/2012 E. Carey Santa Barbara City College Luria Library

3. Your topic: The politics of black hair
Your source: A video of a segment called “The Politics of Black
Hair” from Melissa Harris-Perry’s show on MSNBC
http://video.msnbc.msn.com/melissa-harris-perry/47755433#47755433
Secondary source
9/24/2012 E. Carey Santa Barbara City College Luria Library

4. Topic: Racism in sports
Source: A news story about athletes who have been
expelled from the Olympics for racist tweets
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/london/soccer/story/2012-
07-30/swiss-athlete-banned-michel-morganella-olympics/56591966/1
Secondary source
9/24/2012 E. Carey Santa Barbara City College Luria Library

5. Topic: Racism in sports
Source: The racist tweet for which an athlete was
expelled from the Olympics
Primary source
9/24/2012 E. Carey Santa Barbara City College Luria Library

6. Topic: Racism in sports
Source: An email from a spectator at the Olympics, to her friends
back home, about how people around her reacted to athletes
getting expelled from the games for racist tweets
Primary source
9/24/2012 E. Carey Santa Barbara City College Luria Library

7. Topic: Racism in sports
Source: A Facebook post, by an Olympic spectator’s friend back
home, about what is going on at the Olympics
Secondary source
9/24/2012 E. Carey Santa Barbara City College Luria Library

8. Your topic: Interracial marriage
Your source: A newspaper article from 1893, about
Southern interracial marriage laws
http://dbs.ohiohistory.org/africanam/page1.cfm?ItemID=17772
Primary source
9/24/2012 E. Carey Santa Barbara City College Luria Library

9. Your topic: Interracial marriage
Your source: An interview with an interracial couple, about how
their families and communities have responded to them over
the past 40 years
http://iipdigital.usembassy.gov/st/english/inbrief/2012/06/201206087068.html#axzz27MdEFQDr
Primary source
9/24/2012 E. Carey Santa Barbara City College Luria Library

10. Your topic: Black images in the media
Your source: An interview with the author of a book
about media stereotypes of African Americans
http://www.soros.org/voices/black-male-image-american-mind
Secondary source
9/24/2012 E. Carey Santa Barbara City College Luria Library

11. Your topic: Black images in the media
Your sources: Media images
http://www.newser.com/tag/3970/2/stereoty
pes.html
http://www.crownheights.info/index.php?blogid
=1&archive=2008-07&catid=23
Primary sources
9/24/2012 E. Carey Santa Barbara City College Luria Library

12. More Examples
Primary sources: Secondary sources:
evidence of history & culture interpretation of history & culture
Photographs Scholarly articles
Movies Political analyses
Plays Biographies
Works of art Textbooks
Songs Reference books
Recipes Literary criticism
Letters Reviews of art/movies/music (usually)
Diaries News articles/broadcasts other than
Autobiographies first-person accounts (usually)
Memoirs
Oral histories
Speeches
Birth/death certificates
Land deeds
Government documents
Live news footage
Interviews (usually)
9/24/2012 E. Carey Santa Barbara City College Luria Library