Template:Tertiary source

A tertiary source is an index and/or textual condensation of primary and secondary sources.

Some examples of tertiary sources are almanacs, guide books, survey articles, timelines, and user guides. Depending on the topic of research, a scholar may use a bibliography, dictionary, or encyclopedia as either a tertiary or a secondary source.

As tertiary sources, encyclopedias and textbooks attempt to summarize and consolidate the source materials into an overview, but may also present subjective commentary and analysis (which are characteristics of a secondary source).

In some academic disciplines the distinction between a secondary and tertiary source is relative, but in historiography it is absolute.

In the UNISIST model, a secondary source is a bibliography, whereas a tertiary source is a synthesis of primary sources.Template:Citation-needed

See also

• Research
• Historiography
• Primary source
• Secondary source
• Source text