Primary vs Secondary Sources in Literature

Primary or Secondary? A biography of Queen Elizabeth I written in 2020

• Primary

• Secondary

Primary or Secondary? A biography of Queen Elizabeth I written while she was still alive.

• Primary

• Secondary

Primary or Secondary? Othello by Shakespeare

• Primary

• Secondary

Primary or Secondary? A 2019 academic article on pirates in early modern England that does not mention Shakespeare's plays

• Primary

• Secondary

Primary or Secondary? A play by Christopher Marlowe that you are only using to compare to 12th Night

• Primary

• Secondary

Primary or Secondary? An academic article on the role of humor in Shakespeare's plays.

• Primary

• Secondary

How can you use secondary sources in your writing?

• to provide a contrasting opinion

• to reinforce your own argument

• to provide historical context

• all of the above

True or False: The Quote Sandwich technique can help you incorporate secondary sources into your own analysis

• True

• False