Primary sources provide direct, firsthand evidence about an event, object, or person. They are not interpretative beyond that original perspective. Primary sources include everything from diaries, letters, manuscripts, audio and video recordings, speeches, artwork, interview, surveys, emails, scientific research results, census records, etc. 

Secondary sources describe, interpret, discuss, analyze, evaluate, and interpret primary sources. Secondary sources are often published works, such as journal articles (found in databases), textbooks, documentaries, and nonfiction books. Secondary sources can also be interpretations of the significance of data sets, book or movie reviews, etc.

Different databases may offer more relevant resources depending on your topic or question. Try searching in several for the best results!

Many databases include the full text articles. When that happens, you should see a link to an HTML or PDF document. If you do not see that link, you should see another option for finding the full text, for example: "Get it @ GVSU", "Get full text", "Check for full text", "Request from Document Delivery". Click on the link and follow the prompts. In some cases, you may need to click on the article title to see the PDF link or other options.

If you run into any issues or land on a screen that indicates you have to pay for the article, ask us for help!

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  Can't find the article online? Order it through our document delivery service. Article requests are usually filled within 2-3 days but may occasionally take up to one week. Once articles are received, you will be notified via email that your item has been delivered electronically to your document delivery account. Log in with your regular GVSU username and password to get started!

• Setting up a Document Delivery Account