Secondary Sources
Secondary sources are your conversation partners as you study the topic. Examples of secondary sources are books, scholarly monographs, journal articles, and Ph.D. dissertations. These sources help the student understand the topic on a deeper level and develop their own ideas about the topic. Secondary sources can also be broken up into four levels:
Beginner-Level Sources - Broader overviews that help you enter in to the conversation about a given topic and serve as as springboard into more intermediate-level sources in the field. Examples might include books in the 40 Questions Series, Counterpoints Series, Short Studies in Systematic Theology Series, and other series like these.
Intermediate-Level Sources - More-detailed, focused, book-length treatments of a topic that take you deeper into the conversation. Examples might include books in the Foundations of Evangelical Theology Series, Theology for the People of God Series, or other individual volumes on a topic.
Advanced-Level Sources - Narrow studies of a topic that build on and add nuance to the content of intermediate-level sources. Examples might include technical books on a topic and peer-reviewed journal articles.
Mastery-Level Sources - Laser-focused studies written for academics. These resources usually include the most nuance and technical language on a given topic. Examples might include PhD dissertations, academic monographs, and academic conference volumes.
1. Online Resources
ATLA Religion Database (journal articles on religion)
ERIC (journals on education)
ETHOS Dissertation Database (Ph.D. dissertations from the U.K.)
JSTOR (journal articles on sciences and humanities)
Oxford Handbooks Online (excellent handbooks on various topics)
ProQuest Dissertations and Theses
Theological Research Exchange Network (MA Theses, Th.M. Theses, and conference presentations)
2. Print Resources
Many secondary sources are only available in print format. To access them, you can search our print collection in WorldCat.
If you have more questions about accessing secondary sources, please visit the Reference Desk or setup a Research Appointment.
If you are off-campus, you will need to use your Campusnet login information to access the online resources.