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How to Cite Secondary Sources

Secondary sources are documents or recordings that discuss information originally presented somewhere else, such as another published study. While someone with first-hand experience of a political campaign for example can act as a primary source through testimony, an analysis of how that person interpreted the campaign based on their testimony would be an example of a secondary source. Secondary sources cannot therefore be cited in the same manner as primary sources. They are instead attributed solely through in-text citations, which in turn are formatted differently than traditional citations.

Source publishing information

Instructions

- 1
  Locate the secondary source you want to cite within your resource. Secondary sources are always comprised of attributed information to people or data outside of the main resource author's personal experience.
- 2
  Write "In (secondary source author)'s work, as cited in (main resource author, date of publication)" and then elaborate on the implications of that secondary source. You now have sufficient attribution for your in-text citation.
- 3
  Search the first several pages of your main resource for the publishing information. If it is an electronic resource this information will likely be found at the top of the page or abstract of the document.
- 4
  Create a bibliography on a separate page at the end of your document.
- 5
  List the publishing information in the following format: Author(s) name. (Date of publication). Title of resource. Journal name in italics, volume, page numbers referenced. Author's last names must be listed first. If there are multiple sources put all bibliography citations in alphabetical order by author's last name. You now have an appropriate bibliography and have completed both components of your secondary source citation.

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