There are three types of sources when it comes to researching and studying history. They are Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Sources. Please see the Sotheby's Institute of Art's Library Guide of the same name, embedded below. This brief guide will go over each type of source, along with examples.

When it comes to studying and researching history, primary sources are the most direct type and hands-on source. All of human history, whether spoken or recorded, comes from primary sources.

One can learn and remember history from reading or watching secondary and tertiary sources. This is why we read out of a US History textbook (secondary source) or look up Wikipedia (tertiary) when we didn't complete the reading homework. These sources, however, only provide us with others' perspectives and accounts after reading primary sources, which is important to an extent. Secondary and tertiary sources provide us with the background and historical context in which primary sources exist. Ultimately, however, primary sources allow us to experience history.

Editorial and political cartoons act as a great primary source because they allow us to view history visually. Usually, political cartoons have multiple layers and perspectives, which requires the historian to further analyze and research into when the cartoon was created. This results in furthering the discipline of History, along with fostering history itself.