8 Introduction to Secondary Sources

Secondary sources can be a useful starting point when researching an unfamiliar area or topic in music. They help develop your understanding of musical terminology and concepts. They also provide key evidence that you can use to support the arguments you make in your assignment. Examples of secondary sources include:

• dictionaries and encyclopedias
• books
• journal articles
• interviews
• newspaper articles
• reviews
• websites.

Certain resources will be more useful at different stages of your research journey.

Click the information icons on the map below to see the sources recommended for each different stage. The research process is not linear. While you will always start with a scoping phase, you will then alternate between all three stages as you progress.