• Footnotes and bibliographies provide important leads to primary sources
• Book reviews in journals usually assess a title in relationship to other scholarship on the same topic so are good bibliography sources
• Scholarly articles and books with proper citations, represent a conversation among scholars. Using seocondary sources in your paper (and providing proper citation) includes you in this conversation and supports a dialogue between you and your readers.
• Secondary sources can help shape and support your argument, or give you ideas to challenge.
• Never be afraid to challenge a secondary source so long as you can back it up

If Vassar Library doesn't have the title you need, search WORLDCAT and request it, for no cost, through InterLibrary Loan/ILL

WorldCat is the union catalog for the thousands of libraries, internationally, participating in ILL. 

Browse issues of these prominent journals: