Political Science (UNH Durham)

In general, there are three types of resources or sources of information: primary, secondary, and tertiary.  It is important to understand these types and to know what type is appropriate for your coursework prior to searching for information.

It's sometimes difficult to distinguish among these three types and they do vary by discipline and subject.

1. Primary sources are original materials on which other research is based; for example,
   • original works (written, spoken, recorded, visual) – poems, diaries, court records, interviews, surveys, polls, newsreel footage, newspaper articles about events, art works, statistical information, and original research/fieldwork
   • original research published in scholarly/academic journals
2. Secondary sources are those that describe, critique, or analyze primary sources; for example:
   • books and articles that interpret, review, or synthesize original research/fieldwork
   • sometimes reference materials – dictionaries, encyclopedias, textbooks
   • review articles in the sciences and social sciences
3. Tertiary sources are those used to organize and locate secondary and primary sources. Can also be compilations or highly distilled summaries that offer factual representation rather than viewpoints or critiques. Examples include indexes, abstracts, databases, and some reference materials.

Representatives of the Biden administration and the executive branch may appear before Congressional committees to provide information on administration policies, initiatives, etc. or to respond to oversight requests; for example, Secretary Blinken appearing before the House Foreign Affairs Committee on March 10, 2021 to speak on the Biden's administration's priorities for U.S. foreign policy (video available on committee site).

Sources that can be used to search for hearings, witnesses, and testimony include