However, it’s up to you to ensure the information they provide is reliable and accurate.Īlways make sure to properly cite your sources to avoid plagiarism. Select the References tab at the top and then click on Insert Footnote Type the text you want into the footnote that appears at the bottom of the page. Primary sources are often considered the most credible in terms of providing evidence for your argument, as they give you direct evidence of what you are researching. If you use one of these in your research, it is probably a primary source. Some types of source are nearly always primary: works of art and literature, raw statistical data, official documents and records, and personal communications (e.g. Insert the superscript number at the end of the sentence containing the quote.

Place quotation marks () at the beginning and end of the quoted text. Are you directly analyzing the source itself (primary), or only using it for background information (secondary)? Copy the exact words from the original source.Does the source provide original information (primary), or does it summarize information from other sources (secondary)?.Was the source created by someone directly involved in the events you’re studying (primary), or by another researcher (secondary)?.To determine if a source is primary or secondary, ask yourself:

Footnote in word