Classics is a field that is both writing and research intensive.  Becoming a good researcher is essential to being a good student in classics, and students will need to use both primary and secondary sources when conducting research on classics topics. 

Primary sources provide firsthand evidence of historical events. In contrast, secondary sources, such as books and journal articles, synthesize and interpret primary source materials. Tertiary sources, such as encyclopedias and dictionaries, synthesize books and articles, and can be a great place to get started on your research (See the "Getting Started" section of this guide).  Entries in tertiary sources are often written by specialists in the field, thus giving you names of important scholars, and they often include references to primary sources.

This guide will provide you with an overview of how to look for secondary sources (books and articles), as well as primary sources in classics.