Primary Sources
Primary sources help you to identify and evaluate your object. They are usually firsthand accounts of the object itself, in some way.
You can usually find out:
- object material and construction
- condition
- function
- manufacturer's/maker's marks
- production techniques
- rarity
- value
Examples of primary sources include:
- your object itself
- an item record from EBay
- entries regarding your object from Auction Catalogs
- video clips featuring your object from places like PBS Antiques Roadshow or YouTube
Secondary Sources
Secondary sources are usually scholarly writings about your particular object, where the scholar provides additional context, interpretation, and analysis of the object.
You can find secondary sources through library resources, like:
Tertiary Sources
Tertiary sources are excellent for getting a broad overview of your object, in terms of its design, historical context, manufacturer history, etc. Ideally, you should be consulting many different tertiary sources repeatedly, throughout your research.
Examples of tertiary sources include:
- Encyclopedias
- Sage Knowledge
- Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History
- Credo Reference
- Google Searches
- Google Image Searches
- Wikipedia
Primary/Secondary/Tertiary Sources
Above graphic from: https://ucsd.libguides.com/MCWP/sources