Types of Source Material

N H D C O N T E S T

Contest Section Highlights:

• Photos from the 2008 National Contest
• 2008 National Contest Winners
• Webcast of the 2008 Awards Ceremony
• What are the steps to create a project?
• How do I create a process paper?
• How are entries judged?

Types of Source Materials

There are two major types of source material used by researchers: primary and secondary sources. Primary sources are first-hand accounts about a person or event. They include letters, diaries, speeches, interviews, newspaper articles from the time, and many other types of documents. Secondary sources are usually published books or articles in which the author presents a personal interpretation of a topic, based on primary sources. Most library books are secondary sources, as are encyclopedias. Secondary sources are important because they put people and events in an historical context and show how opinions about historical events have changed over time.

You must use both primary and secondary sources to create your NHD project.

0119 Cecil Hall University of Maryland College Park, MD 20742 p 301.314.9739

NHD Web site Privacy Statement

National History Day. All Rights Reserved.

To report technical difficulties, contact our Webmaster.

NHD_H+H_Signup_v2

Web site development and managed hosting by:

Web site design by: