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Communication 4620 - Communication Capstone

Types of Sources

Primary sources are those that provide immediate, first-hand accounts of events from people who had a direct connection to the event or topic. 
     Original Documents: this can include journals, letters, notes, government files, and more. 
     Newspapers: a newspaper would be considered a primary source only if the article contains quotes from eyewitnesses or was written by a reporter that was an eyewitness. 
     Speeches or Interviews: provided the speech or interview is being produced by the originator of the information, this would be considered a primary source. 
     Original Research: this would include academic journal articles that collected and analyzed original datasets or survey data. 
     Governmental Data: this includes census data or economic statistics. 
     Photographs, video, or audio: keep in mind this would be original photographs, video, or audio that capture a specific event. 

Where do you find primary sources? 

- Archives (like our Special Collections)

- Databases

- Social Media

- Company or individual websites

- Youtube

This page quotes from and utilizes content from UMass Boston Healey Library
Secondary sources are those that provide analysis, opinions, or interpretation of primary sources. Often secondary sources will quote from or include primary sources as part of their argument, analysis, or interpretation. 
     Newspapers: a newspaper would be considered a secondary source if it is offering an analysis or interpretation of an event rather than quoting from eyewitness accounts. 
     Peer reviewed journal articles: often these articles are offering an analysis or interpretation of specific events or topics.
     Documentaries: while a documentary may contain clips or shots of primary sources, often there is a lens or message the documentary is attempting to communicate. 
     Academic Books: books are often an extension of work in academic journal articles. Scholarly or academic books will offer an analysis or interpretation of a specific event or topic. 

Where do you find secondary sources? 

- OneSearch
- Databases
- Google or Google Scholar
- Local libraries
This page quotes from and utilizes content from UMass Boston Healey Library

Photo property of the Department of English, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University 

Qualitative Data is often descriptive in nature and often discusses emotions, behavior, or experiences. 
- often answers the question "why?" 
- data is typically subjective and based on individual experiences
- data is often collected through surveys, questionnaires, or focus groups

 

Qualitative data and quantitative data can both be utilized in a study. When this is done it's referred to as "mixed method research."
 
Data Science Word Cloud

Photo property of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences - University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Quantitative data is often objective in nature and seeks to produce verifiable data that can be reproduced and is numerical in nature. 
- often answers the question "how many" or "how much"
- data is counted and measured
- data is often collected through close-ended questions or multiple choice questions

 

Qualitative data and quantitative data can both be utilized in a study. When this is done it's referred to as "mixed method research."