Use these links to explore recent issues of scholarly journals in the discipline of Black studies!
Secondary sources were created by someone who did not experience first-hand or participate in the events or conditions you’re researching. For a historical research project, secondary sources are generally scholarly books and articles. A secondary source interprets and analyzes primary sources. These sources are one or more steps removed from the event. Secondary sources may contain pictures, quotes or graphics of primary sources. Some types of secondary source include: Textbooks; journal articles; histories; criticisms; commentaries; encyclopedias
Library Databases(Academic Search Premier, JSTOR, Credo Reference) |
The Web(Google, Bing, Yahoo) |
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| Access | Information is stable. Through the library, current students have 24/7 access and for free. | Information lives and dies on the Web. Scholarly information may exist but you usually have to pay to access it. |
| Search Features | Numerous search features, e.g. limiting by publication type, date, searching using subject terms, and more. | Varies by search engine, but often limited. |
| Number of Results | Dozens to hundreds of results, more manageable. | Millions of results, overwhelming. |
| Relevance | Focus by subject (art, business, history) and/or format (journals, books, videos). More relevant information from quality sources. | Lack of subject focus. Credible information exists alongside misinformation and opinion. No gatekeepers. |
| Authority | Easy to determine. Many databases allow you to limit results to scholarly/peer-reviewed literature. | Information can come from anyone with Internet access. Difficult to verify authority. Can't limit to scholarly literature. |