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History in Your Hands project guide 2025-2026

Overview of class 2

In this class you'll learn about primary and secondary sources. We'll go through the different types of information sources that are available and where to find them. 

We'll explain how to apply the CRAAP criteria to help you to evaluate sources. Through this process, you will learn how to identify high quality print and online sources. 

You'll learn how to carry out an effective search strategy by identifying key words and synonyms for your search. We will show you how to perform effective online and databases searches by combining these keywords with web search techniques. 

Finally, you'll learn how to find and use information sources in your local public library. We will teach you how to search the library catalogue to find print books and other resources and we'll highlight the online library databases you can use for your research.

We'll ask you to finalise your RSR idea with your teacher before Class 3 and to send your topic idea to your dedicated HIYH team member.  Choose your three main sources and start reading through those. Take notes as you read and note down the potential strengths and weaknesses of your source.

Class 2 PowerPoint presentation slides: slideshow

Effective online and database searches

This video will show you how to briefly search Google Scholar appropriately to get the best results back possible. 

General guidelines for your RSR sources

  • For the purposes of the History in your Hands project and for Higher Level History in the Leaving Certificate, you will use three main sources. At Ordinary level, a minimum of two sources should be used. Focus on a specific aspect or question when looking for sources, don’t try to answer all of the questions from one source. 
     
  • Sources used may be primary or secondary or (ideally) a combination of the two. See definitions of primary and secondary sources. Note that the syllabus states that you should use 'specialist' secondary sources (i.e. don't use standard school textbooks, works of historical fiction or mainstream films as your main sources or you'll lose marks).
     
  • Aim to use at least one primary source if possible - make sure you do that in consultation with your teacher. Students should only use a primary source from the internet where the site gives clear information about where the source itself is located. That could be in a book, organisation, archive or repository. Otherwise, the source should not be used.
     
  • Our examiners advise using as a book as one of your sources
     
  • Choose sources that are as reliable as possible, avoid tabloid newspapers and magazines.
     
  • Make sure that you can find your sources without too much difficulty. Access to good evidence is vital to the success of your work.
     
  • Evaluate any source you're considering very carefully. See the evaluating your sources section and use the CRAAP questions to help you decide if it is suitable for your research study report.
     
  • If published works by historians are available, at least one should be used as a main source.
     
  • Aim to use a range of sources i.e. in the Seán Lester report we use a book, a journal article and diaries.
     
  • Record the title, author, publication etc details about your sources as you'll need to provide these in your report. See the 'sources to be consulted' tab in how to write your outline plan for more details. This will mean that the examiner will be able to find and check your sources easily.
     
  • As you read through a source, note down its relevance to your topic and any strengths or weaknesses you noticed. See phrases and keywords to use in evaluating your sources for hints about possible source strengths and weaknesses. Some sources may be more helpful to you than others - it's important to note down why as you'll use that information in your research study report.
     
  • Students may also be required to submit a hard copy of the relevant section(s) of the source(s) accessed. Keep any photocopies you make of your sources and hold on to the notes you make from them until you receive your final results.


REMEMBER: If you're reading a book or looking at a website, see if they list any other recommended books, websites, articles etc. to read on the topic. Reference lists/bibliographies, footnotes and web links can provide you with leads to other sources.

Evaluating your sources

The ability to effectively evaluate sources is an essential part of researching and writing your history research study report. You need to be able to show that you can find, read and critically consider the sources of information you use. 

Choosing the right sources

First, you'll need to carefully evaluate any source you're thinking of using for your report. It is important to identify the reliability of sources when conducting research and consulting historical records and written histories. Each source should be questioned around issues of accuracy, exaggeration, prejudice, propaganda and bias. Looking at a number of sources, and comparing their content i.e. crosschecking information, will show if there are issues with the information presented. Use the first checklist in evaluating your sources to make sure you're choosing the right sources for your RSR and approaching them in the right way. 

Evaluation of sources section in the RSR 

This section of your RSR is worth 25 of the 100 marks available and has been allocated two pages (approx. 500-680 words) in the History in Your Hands submission template 2026. 

This template is based on the official Research Study Report booklet provided for Leaving Certificate History from the State Examinations Commission (SEC) website. Please read through the official booklet carefully for more guidance about submitting your report as part of Leaving Certificate History. 

In this section of your RSR you'll need to demonstrate your evaluation skills to the examiner and your answer is marked on how 'clearly and coherently' you do this. Don’t make the evaluation of your sources too brief. Look at each source you’ve used and consider its usefulness in greater depth. In this section you will address the following questions:

  • Is this a primary or secondary source?
  • What type of source is this? Book, journal article, website etc.
  • Where did the source come from?
  • How you found and used the source?
  • What facts did you learn from this source?
  • What is the relevance of each of the three sources used to the topic? (Give examples of relevant information from your sources)
  • What are the strengths and weaknesses of each source? Try to discuss the source's strengths first, followed by 1-2 weaknesses (with examples of each from your sources).
  • If the source is objective (impartial) or subjective (biased)? Refer to the potential biases of a source if it’s autobiographical.
  • Which source was the most/least useful? Rank each source in your evaluations e.g., Source 1 was the most helpful source because…
  • Compare and contrast your sources; 'This source lacked details about X, I found this information in Source 2.'

You should take notes while you are using the source, recording elements of the source that will help you write this section. This will help you to provide specific information about your sources and help you to avoid giving a general review. 

Avoid describing how enjoyable the source was to read/watch - remember that you are providing an academic analysis of the source.

Pages 24-32 of the Leaving Certificate History Guidelines for Teachers offer advice about how to approach this section. Use the 'evaluating your source' worksheet below to record the information about each source you examine. The completed worksheet will also help you write this section of your RSR.  

If you're comparing sources in your evaluations, there is no need to repeat the full title and details of each source. Instead use the numbers you allocated to the sources in the sources to be consulted section of your outline plan i.e. 'This source lacked details about X, I found this information in Source 2 instead.'Shows an image of the CRAAP test for evaluating sources: the words currency, relevance, authority, accuracy and pupose form a circle that surrounds the words 'evaluate your source'

Also use the questions in the CRAAP Test (in the tabs to the right) to help you evaluate any source you are considering using in your report. This a well-know test used to check the reliability of information sources. These questions will help you to decide a source's value for your report based on its currency, relevance, authority, accuracy and purpose. They will also help you describe the relevance, strengths and weaknesses of your sources in your RSR.

Remember that you should back your points up with specific examples - i.e. what information did the source provide? Refer to statistics, potential bias, if it included images, what its language and structure were like, was there irrelevant information, is there a timeline of events etc. The questions in the CRAAP text will help you address these points and more.

Do your final draft of the Evaluation of Sources after you have finished your extended essay. 

Use the handy evaluating your sources checklists to help you complete this section.

 

CURRENCY

Ask yourself the following questions:

  • Was the information created at the time of the event or days, weeks, months or years later? If it's a diary or an eyewitness account it will be reporting on events that only recently occurred, giving the information immediacy. If it was published a long time ago i.e. a book or a web page does this effect its usefulness? If the information was created years after the event does it give a good understanding of the broader historical context of the event?

  • Has it been revised or updated? It's generally a good sign if a source has been updated to include new important information. However in the case of Wikipedia it's an issue that the information can be updated by anyone at any time as this makes it unreliable. Never use Wikipedia as a main source  - though the links to other sources at the end of a Wikipedia article can be useful.

  • Is the information current or out-of-date? Is there important information that emerged after this source was published?

  • If it's a web resource with links, are they working? If the links are not working, this can be a sign it is not a reliable source.

 

RELEVANCE:

Ask yourself the following questions:

  • Does the information relate to your topic or answer your research question? Does the source provide detailed information on the subject of your study? Or is it a small part of a much greater field of study? What new information did you learn? Is this source more or less useful to you than the others? Tip: Prepare a list of questions you’re hoping the sources will answer. How well did each one answer these questions?

  • How comprehensive is the source? Does it deal with only some aspect(s) of the topic you're researching? All the information you need to write your report will not be found in just one source, each one is likely to cover just one or two of the areas you're researching. You CAN mention it as a 'weakness' in the evaluating your sources section however - that the source only covered a person's early life for example.

  • Who is the intended audience? i.e. the content and style of information in a source may not be suitable for your report i.e. it's written for children. Is it written for a general audience or an academic audience and how does this effect the content?

  • Is the information at the appropriate level? If the information is aimed at a younger audience it is probably too simple for your report. Is it user-friendly and is it easy to understand the content, language and information presented by the author? If it's aimed at experts in the field is it filled with jargon, hard to understand technical terms, or complicated language? 

  • Have you looked at a variety of sources? You should vary the types of sources you use i.e. use a book, a journal article, a website, a newspaper article etc.

AUTHORITY

Ask yourself the following questions:

  • Who is the author/publisher/ sponsor? Are they a reliable author i.e. a historian or do they have experience in a relevant field? Are they a participant in an event, or an eyewitness? Be especially careful to assess the authors/creators of sources you find online i.e. from social media posts, online blogs, message boards.

  • Are the author’s credentials or organisational affiliations given? Do they have relevant qualifications, do they work somewhere that adds to their credibility or could it make them biased?

  • Is there contact info for the author/organization? If there are none, this can raise questions about their credibility.

  • What is the domain of the site - check the URL as this can help you figure out who created the information and why:
    • .gov: U.S government
    • .gov.ie: Irish government
    • .edu: Educational websites based in the U.S
    • .org: large organisations/clubs/ charities

ACCURACY:

Ask yourself the following questions:

  • Where does the information come from? Is the author getting their information from a reliable source?

  • Is the information supported by evidence?

    • references - check for footnotes and reference lists / biblographies 

    • links to reliable sources - check that links in online sources connect out to other high quality sources

    • Tabloid newspapers like The Sun or The Daily mail often make claims that aren't supported by evidence

  • Has the information been reviewed or refereed? Has another expert in the field assessed and approved the information? i.e. is it an academic journal article that has been peer-reviewed (approved for publication by an expert in the field). Note: Claims made in tabloid articles are generally not checked for accuracy.

  • Can you verify the information in another source? Does a different source back up the information you find or does it contain information not mentioned elsewhere? If the evidence contradicts the information in other sources, how can this be explained?

  • Are there are inconsistencies in the source? Does the author present contradictory information?

  • Are there any gaps in the evidence that make it difficult to come to conclusions i.e. missing names, dates or key events? Can you fill in these gaps with information from other sources?

  • Is the language unbiased and free from emotion? Reliable sources should be impartial and objective - tabloid newspapers like The Daily Mail or The Sun use exaggeration and emotional language to sell newspapers. This makes them less credible as a source. Are there any phrases that indicate a bias for or against any group, individual or viewpoint? Make reference to the potential biases of a source if it’s autobiographical.

  • Are there grammar or spelling mistakes in the source? This can be a sign that the source is not reliable.

PURPOSE:

Ask yourself the following questions:

  • Does the info attempt to inform? Teach? Sell? Entertain? Persuade? A reliable source should aim to inform or teach you something in an unbiased and impartial way. i.e. The purpose of the film Michael Collins by Neil Jordan is to entertain audiences, it would not be a reliable source to use as one of your three main sources for your report.

  • Does the author make their intentions or purpose clear? Do they have a clear point of view and if so what is it? Or are they just describing something that has happened? Is it obvious why they are giving this information? 

  • Is the information fact? Opinion? Is there evidence of propaganda? Does the author back up their claims or arguments with reliable evidence? If so, are they only sharing information that supports their own opinions and ignoring information that doesn't?

  • Does the point of view appear objective and impartial? Does the information present you with reliable evidence that allows you to make up your own mind or does it try to push an opinion on you?

In the Evaluation of Sources remember to rank your sources - state if the source was your most/second most/least useful source. List strengths and weaknesses for each source you evaluate. Use as many of these key words and phrases as possible – you'll find more ideas in the CRAAP sections and when reading through your sources. Mix them up between the three different evaluations you'll do.

 

Include:

  • This was my most/second most/least useful source.
  • It is a primary/secondary source that was published as a book/journal article/web page, eyewitness account in a newspaper etc. in [year].
     

I found this source by:

  • using key words to find books on the library catalogue
  • using the bibliography of a book that listed the sources consulted
  • searching a library database with the help of the librarian
  • doing a web search using key words
  • searching reliable websites recommended by my teacher

 

This is a credible source (a strength) because it's:

  • written by an historian
  • is an eyewitness account and I've cross-checked the details in other sources
  • is published in a peer-reviewed journal
  • a newspaper report published in a credible newspaper

 

Strengths:

  • The main strength of the source was...another strength was...
  • Uses a wide range of primary and/or secondary sources
  • Contains a good use of quotations from witnesses
  • The author backs up their claims with references to other sources listed in the footnotes/bibliography
  • It is an unbiased/objective/impartial/balanced/fair account that presents the facts backed up with evidence (i.e. references to other sources)
  • Accurate facts figures and statistics are presented to support the account of X
  • There is a wide range of facts and information available that helps you make a judgement
  • Contains footnotes/a bibliography which adds credibility to their accounts
  • Contains footnotes/a bibliography which helped me find more valuable sources
  • It includes interviews of many of the people involved/present
  • This is an eyewitness account which offers a unique, firsthand perspective on X  
  • Gives a good overview of the topic/person and it analyses events in their historical context
  • It places X (the event/person's impact) in its wider historical context (give details)
  • The information is relevant to the topic because it gives a detailed and comprehensive account of X
  • Gave me a greater insight and understanding of X event (give an example from the source to show relevance to your topic)
  • It analyses the causes and consequences of X which helped me judge the influence of X / the impact of X events
  • It gives plenty of information/detail about X
  • It gave a clear explanation of X and presented coherent arguments
  • The style of writing is easy to follow/clear/concise
  • It is a peer-reviewed journal article which increases its reliability
  • The article was published recently in X (state year) which means the information is up-to-date
  • The contents list/chapter headings/index made it easy to find the information I needed 
  • Includes photographs/figures/graphs/maps/illustrations to support the content in the text

 

Weaknesses:

  • The main weakness of the source was...another weakness was...
  • Doesn't draw information from any primary sources when describing/explaining X
  • Did not contain any/many references to other sources (in footnotes or in a bibliography)
  • I was not able to verify some of the information (give example) in other sources 
  • The eyewitness/author of this biography/article/diary shows bias when they make claims that they don't back up with evidence (i.e. references to other sources)
  • There is evidence of propaganda (selective information, manipulative language) when the author describes X
  • This eyewitness account did not reference other sources (but I cross-checked and verified the events recorded in source X)
  • I was aware that as an eyewitness account that this report had the potential for bias or unreliability 
  • The author is not objective/impartial - uses emotional language or exaggeration
  • The author gives a one-sided version of events that does not take X into account 
  • It gave a narrow account of X/lacked some details I needed about X/concentrates on one aspect only (mention aspect)
  • Concentrates on one aspect only 
  • Apart from X, a lot of the information was not relevant to my topic
  • The information presented about X was vague so I found those details in source X instead
  • Some of the language was complex/technical/difficult to understand so I consulted a dictionary when necessary
  • It gives too much/not enough information/detail about X
  • Too much information and detail is presented about X which is overwhelming
  • It includes too many/too few photographs/figures/graphs/maps/illustrations to support the content in the text
  • It was not easy to find the information I needed as there was no contents list/chapter headings/index
  • The style of writing is difficult to read or understand/unclear/too dense
  • The article was published in X (year) which may mean the information is outdated. I checked for more recent information in source X.
  • Does not place X (the event/person's impact) in its wider historical context (give details) so it makes it difficult to understand its significance 
  • It did not analyse the causes and consequences of X which made it difficult to judge the influence of X / the impact of X events

 

Reliable, free online websites for historical research

Archive.org
The Internet Archive and Open Library offers over 10,000,000 fully accessible books and texts.

Famous Trials
This site focuses on famous trials that include the Salem Witchcraft Trials, the Nuremberg Trials (1945-49) and the Chicago Seven Conspiracy Trial (1969-70). Most of these include background information on the case, biographies and photographs of trial participants, trial transcript excerpts, and articles from newspapers that covered the trial.

Hathi Trust Digital Library
A collection of over 17 million digitized "books and book-like materials" that have been uploaded from libraries all around the world. The collection spans many subjects and time periods.

Project Gutenberg 
Choose among free epub and Kindle eBooks, download them or read them online. You will find the world’s great literature here, with focus on older works for which U.S. copyright has expired. Use search and browse/advanced search to find books relating to history.

The First World War
UK National Archives portal to official UK government records of the First World War as well as a vast collection of letters, diaries, maps and photographs.

Spartacus Educational 
Spartacus Educational is an excellent online encyclopaedia with hyperlinked articles on British, German, and Russian history. It also contains sections covering both world wars. The site is extremely comprehensive; see this page on Tudor history for an idea of the site’s thorough organisation.

Thought Co: History & Culture
Resources on this site will help you explore how past events have influenced and shaped our world, from the earliest civilizations to the present day. Find out more about world history, military history, women’s history and more. Many of the articles are written by historians and link to related resources. 

World History Encyclopedia 
A free online history encyclopaedia with fact-checked articles, images, videos, maps, exploring historical events from prehistoric to modern times.

Eurodocs: Online sources for European History 
This site links to primary source historical documents relating to Europe. You’ll also find video or sound files, maps, photographs and more on the site. The sources cover a broad range of historical events. 

Europeana
Explore stories, films and historical material about the First World War and contribute your own family history. Can be a good place to find primary sources you can use in your report.

Manuscripts Online
Manuscripts Online links you to online primary resources relating to written and early printed culture in Britain during the period 1000 to 1500. The resources include literary manuscripts, historical documents and early printed books which are located on websites owned by libraries, archives, universities and publishers.

Tudor History
Includes a biography of each of the Tudor monarchs, including Henry VIII and Elizabeth I.

Dictionary of Irish Biography
The Dictionary of Irish Biography tells the island’s life story through the biographies of prominent men and women born in Ireland, north and south, based at home and overseas, and the noteworthy Irish careers of those born outside Ireland.

Digital repository of Ireland
A trusted digital repository that provides access to Ireland’s humanities, cultural heritage, and social sciences digital data and is a useful way to find valuable primary and secondary sources for your research study. 

Dúchas.ie
Digitised material from the National Folklore Collection which collects, preserves and disseminates the oral tradition of Ireland. Find audio recordings, videos, manuscripts, photographs and more dating from 1897 that record all aspects of Irish folklore and tradition in Ireland.

History Ireland
The articles in History Ireland magazine cover topics relating to Irish history, from the earliest times to the present day. Check the references at the end of the article for more valuable sources. While the articles are generally written by historians, it's always worth researching the author's qualifications if you plan to use the article as a source for your study.

Irish Archives resource
An online service for searching for archive records in Ireland. Search for the name of a person, place or subject and the results will bring up the collections that hold records on that topic. Links will connect you to a detailed collection description and to the relevant website, often providing access to digitised documents.

Irish Genealogy.ie
This site allows users to search a wide range of record sources while looking for their Irish ancestry or information about specific Irish people. Search records from the historic registers and Indexes to the Civil Registers of Births, Marriages and Deaths, and to pre-20th century church records of baptism, marriage and burial for some counties. 

National Archives of Ireland
The National Archives of Ireland hold the state records of Ireland, many of which are useful to both family and local history research. These include census returns, land valuation records, testamentary records (wills), workhouse records, transportation records, estate records and business records.

National Library of Ireland
As Ireland's library of record, the NLI provides access to their collections free of charge onsite and online. Use keywords to search the website and select 'digitised' under 'online availability' to view primary source records that may be relevant to your research study.

Oireachtas website
The Oireachtas (The parliament of Ireland) consists of The President of Ireland, Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann. On this website you can access government debates, bills and acts that may be relevant to your research and historical documents dating from the 1500s. 

RTE Archives
Access videos, sound recordings, photos and documents from RTE’s broadcast history.

The Military Archives
Access documents relating to the military history of Ireland from the Irish Defence Forces, the Department of Defence and Ireland's Army Pensions Board. Includes sources from the War of Independence as well as the Collins Papers; Civil War Operations and Intelligence files; and Captured Documents (Civil War up to 1925). Learn about the lives of men and women who took part in Ireland's most turbulent periods in the Military Service pensions collections 1916-1923.

1641 depositions
Witness testimonies mainly by Protestants and Catholics from all social backgrounds, concerning their experiences of the 1641 Irish rebellion. The testimonies document the loss of goods, military activity, and the alleged crimes committed by the Irish insurgents, including assault, stripping, imprisonment and murder. 

Great Irish Famine online 
A digital resource that charts the changes in the social, political and economic landscape of pre and post Famine Ireland.

Dublin Castle records
Contains the records of the British administration in Ireland prior to 1922. Most of these papers relate directly or indirectly to the methods adopted by the authorities, using civil and military forces, to combat the efforts of the Nationalist organizations to secure Irish independence. They include files containing information about Eamon De Valera, Roger Casement, Maud Gonne and Countess Markievicz.

The Irish Independence film collection
Watch newsreels documenting turbulent periods in Irish history between 1900 and 1930 including WW1, the Easter Rising, the War of Independence, the Irish Civil War. 

A Century of Women
This resource highlights women’s contributions to the social, economic, cultural and political life of Northern Ireland from the 1900s to 1990s.

Census of Ireland 1901/1911
The 1901 and 1911 census returns offer an insight into what life was like at the time for people living in Ireland. They are an extremely valuable part of the Irish national heritage, and a great resource for genealogists, local historians and for anyone conducting historical research.

Century Ireland
The Century Ireland project charts what it was like to live in Ireland between 1912 and 1923. Discover articles, films and audio files that will bring the Ireland of 100 years ago to vivid life.

Letters 1916-1923 
This project contains thousands of letters from 1916 - 1923 that describe wars and violence at home and abroad including the Easter Rising, The Great War, The Anglo-Irish and Civil War, literature and art, love, politics, business, and ordinary life. 

Documents on Irish Foreign Policy 
The DIFP website makes documents relating to Irish foreign policy available drawing from the collections of the Royal Irish Academy, the National Archives, and the Department of Foreign Affairs.

CAIN archive 
The CAIN Archive is a collection of information and source material on 'the Troubles' and politics in Northern Ireland from 1968 to the present. 

Chronicling America
Chronicling America is a Website providing access to information about historic newspapers and select digitised newspaper pages. It is a long-term effort to develop an Internet-based, searchable database of U.S. newspapers.

DPLA: Digital Public Library of America 
Find millions of primary sources relating to all aspects of history, contributed by libraries across the U.S. 

Library of Congress Digital Collections
An invaluable site for American history and general studies. Contains primary and secondary documents: access online collections: view maps & photographs; read letters, diaries and newspapers; hear personal accounts of events; listen to sound recordings & watch historic films. 

National Museum of African American History and Culture
The National Museum of African American History and Culture is the only national museum devoted exclusively to the documentation of African American life, history, and culture. Click ‘explore’ and ‘search the collection’ to find articles, speeches, photographs, audio recordings etc. relating to the Civil Rights movement, Black social history, the American West and more. 

National Archives
The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) contains documents and materials created in the course of business conducted by the United States federal government. Users can research people, places, events and other popular topics of interest, as well as ancestry and military records. 

The American Presidency Project
This archive contains over 117,000 documents related to the study of the Presidency in the United States.

Taking notes from your sources

It's very important to be clear about what exactly you are researching and writing. It will make it easier to recognise the information that’s relevant to your topic and then note it down. Read the sections of the book/article relevant to your topic – use the contents, chapter headings and index to find the information.

Keep the aims of your RSR in mind as you take your notes to help you decide what’s important. You’ll rewrite your aims when you’ve finished your research and when you’ve written your extended essay.


Headings

It’s a good idea to choose the likely headings you’ll use in your extended essay, once you’ve picked your report title. These will link in with your aims and they can be organised by topic or theme. When you find information in your sources note that information down under the relevant heading. As you take notes, you can break your headings down into subheadings and points and organise your notes under those.

Don’t worry if you change your mind about the headings you’ve chosen as you read through your sources. You'll organise all the information you’ve found properly once you’ve read through all your sources and finished your research. 

Organise your research under your chosen headings in a Word document, or keep hand-written notes in a separate folder for each of your headings - whatever works for you! 

 

Record the source information

A key part of your history work is learning to identify the ‘significant detail’ in your sources and record it in your own words. A good way to do this is to write the title, the author and the type of source at the top of the page. After each section/chapter, stop and write down the relevant information from that section/chapter. 

Whatever approach you choose, record which source you’re taking the information from each time you make a note. This is especially important for the direct quotations you use in your extended essay. When you take a section from a source word-for-word like this, you need to cite the source i.e. provide the details of the source including the page number in brackets after the quote i.e. (Source 2, pg. 53). There’s nothing more frustrating than looking at your notes when you’re writing your extended essay and not being able to remember which source the information came from. 

As you read through the source it's a good idea to jot down what you find good (strengths) about  the source, and what you find bad (weaknesses). See the evaluating your sources information box for more information about this. The 'phrases and keywords to use' tab will help you understand what strengths and weaknesses to look out for.

 

Effective note-taking

Use one of the effective note-taking strategies covered in this class to organise your research and save time. These include using mind maps (try Xmind or Mindup), active note-taking, using headings in Word and hyperlinks.

Take brief notes – there is no need to write full sentences unless you’re taking down a direct quote. You might find it useful to underline or highlight key words in your notes.

You’ll use your notes to plan the structure of your Research Essay.

REMEMBER: Keep any copies of notes you take or Word documents you use until you receive your final mark.

In brief: Primary and secondary sources

A picture of an open diary with a quill lying on it, lying on envelopes, letters, and photgraphs, beside a pocket watch

  • Objects or documents providing original sources of information
  • First-hand accounts from people who experienced the event
  • People or things created at or present at the time of the event
  • Includes: art works, artefacts, autobiographies, cartoons, census data, diaries, interviews, letters, manuscripts, maps, photographs, posters, speeches and videos
  • Newspaper articles can be primary or secondary (primary if providing an eyewitness account or reporting directly on an event)

 

An extract from a newspaper article that reads: Seán Lester and Edward Phelan: Irish world leaders. Two Irish diplomats played a significant role in the development of international relations and multilaterism. This appears above a black and white photograph of seven men and a woman.

  • From a later date than the event
  • Written about a primary source
  • One step removed 
  • Often use primary sources
  • Examine, review, explain an event
  • Includes: biographies, criticisms, journal articles, podcasts, research studies, reviews, textbooks (NOTE: You should only use specialist secondary sources for your research study report - don't use school textbooks or works of historical fiction)
  • Newspaper articles can be primary or secondary (secondary when examining or explaining an event after it has taken place).

Where to find sources for your RSR

Two people standing in a room looking into a box

With so many places to find information, it can be difficult to know where to start your search for sources. Your local public library is where you should start your search and archives and websites are also great places to find high quality information. Click on each tab to find out more.

Archives collect, preserve and provide access to sources, especially primary sources. One of the main aims of an archive is to preserve documents, or records, so that they can be accessed by users now and into the future. See what is an archive? 

You should aim to use at least one primary source in your research study report - you're more likely to get higher marks if you use a combination of primary and secondary sources.

  • Check our list of free, reliable websites to search, which includes some digital archives
  • Check the online catalogue of an archive for material relating to your topic i.e. DCU Library's Special Collections and Archives or Dublin City Library and Archive
  • If it's a local archive, make an appointment to visit it and talk to the archivists about the best material to consult
  • Check iar.ie for other archives that hold material relating to your topic
  • Check sites like Europeana or do an effective Google search for digitised primary source archival material you can access online
  • Don't use primary sources you find through Google searches unless it's very clear where the source is located i.e. in a particular book, archive, museum or organisation
  • Use the CRAAP questions to help you decide if the source is reliable and suitable for your topic
  • Download the evaluating your source worksheet from the bottom of the evaluating your sources info box. Use it to help you evaluate sources you find in an archive

You can find some great historical sources on the internet, just remember to evaluate web sources very carefully. The information you need can be buried under pages of irrelevant results and ads. These appear in the results list first because of popularity or paid promotion. Anyone can add information to the internet, so you have to be sure that it's a high quality, reliable source before you use it for your RSR.

Online library databases

a hand types on a computer keyboard, folders that connect to each other are illustrated on the screenA database is an online storage system you can access electronically on your computer or smartphone. It holds and manages a lot of information. You can search a database using words or phrases relevant to your topic. The database then searches across huge amounts of data to find results that match the words you've used. It shows you a list of a results i.e. journal articles, newspaper reports and images that you can read and download for your research. The Irish Newspaper Archives and the JSTOR database are two databases that will connect you with brilliant sources for historical research. 

Irish Newspaper Archives

Access this database in Irish public library branches and search 140 National and Regional Irish newspaper publications for rich primary and secondary source material for your history research study. Find newspaper articles, images and ads that date from 1763 to the present day. 

Watch the short video below (03:27) and learn how to use the Irish Newspaper Archive to find historical sources. 

JSTOR database

Access the JSTOR database in your local library branch and find high quality sources including academic journal articles, book chapters and research reports. Subjects covered: The Humanities (including history), The Arts and The Sciences covering material published in the 1780s up to the present day.

Watch this short video (02:44) to find out how to use the database.

XMind: Create your own mind maps

an image of connected coloured boxes

Xmind is free mindmapping program where you can create your own mind maps. They'll help you understand and remember the information from your sources and to organise the information you find under headings. There are loads of different mind map templates available - learn how to use Xmind to plan and structure your RSR or download the program below and dive right in.  

Download Xmind8 for Windows (laptop or PC)
Download Xmind8 for android phones and tablets

Students in Google Schools who use Chromebooks should use Mindmup instead, which works well with Google Workspace and Google Drive. Find out more with these Mindmup tutorials. 

Contact us

All project participants can get dedicated support from a member of the project team. Please get in touch with the team member listed for your school below if you have a question, or if you'd like feedback on your research study report. 

Dominican College Griffith Avenue
Celine Campbell: celine.campbell@dcu.ie

St Vincent's Boys Secondary School
Killian Downing: killian.downing@dcu.ie

Trinity Comprehensive Ballymun
Hayley Brabazon: hayley.brabazon@dcu.ie