What is a secondary source?
A secondary source is one that was created after the event by someone who wasn't there. Examples include books, journals, magazines and websites. It isn't one that is secondary in importance!
For your paper you need to find scholarly sources. The slide below tell you the difference between a scholarly and non-scholarly source. If you're not sure, ask your teacher or a librarian.
What is a scholarly article?
How do you know if an article you find is scholarly? Look at the chart in this presentation to help you work it out. Make sure you are looking at an article NOT a book review (though you can look for the book if it sounds worthwhile). If you're still not sure, ask a librarian or your teacher.
Tips for finding secondary sources
- While you're reading your reference article, keep a list of keywords to search for.
- Try broad terms eg Post-Impressionism and narrow terms eg Pont-Aven school
- Look at the bibliography at the end of the reference article - those might be good sources.
Using JStor
- JSTOR This link opens in a new windowAn archive of academic journals offering scholarly research on a variety of subjects, including over 200 journals about art and/or music.
Using GoogleScholar
- Google ScholarGoogle Scholar is a freely accessible web search engine that indexes the full text or metadata of scholarly literature across an array of publishing formats and disciplines.
You can use GoogleScholar to explore all types of scholarly literature, however you may not have access to everything that comes up in the search result. If you find something you cannot readily access, ask one of the librarians for help.
Using SFPL Database resources
These databases are available through the San Francisco Public Library. You will need your library card and PIN. If you have lost one or the other check with the UHS librarians.
- Music Index (Ebsco)Both the Art Full Text and Music Index contain academic journals and periodicals. Limit your search to "Online full text" and Academic Journals to get immediate access to scholarly works.
- Gale Academic OneFileAcademic and popular articles, such as newspaper and magazines across all fields--not just art and music.
Here's a quick video on using the SFPL databases above.