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Types of Secondary Sources
- Encylopaedias
- Reviews of journal articles
- Handbooks or manuals
- Library catalogues
When to use Secondary Sources
- Reviews of journal articles are more specific, but again give an overview of many journals articles on a specific topic
- They can offer an overview of a topic when you are more experienced with the subject covered
- Journal article reviews can be in paper format or in electronic format
- Handbooks or manuals are practical step-by-step guides on how to carry out procedures
- They can be specialist in nature, eg. Manual for Vascular Medicine in Surgery
- They can be in paper or may be electronically available
- Library catalogues are the starting points for finding out what is available in your library
- Most modern library catalogues are now available electronically
- Older libraries may still have card catalogues
