Organizing Information from Secondary Sources

Organizing Information from Secondary Sources

• A secondary source is a document or recording that presents information drawn from a primary source.
• Secondary sources analyze, interpret, evaluate, and often generalize information from primary sources.
• Secondary sources include reference materials, non-fiction books, biographies, non-print materials, almanacs, atlases, gazetteers, specialized references, CD-ROM references, periodicals, encyclopedias, video resources, and electronic databases.

Organizing Information

• Several methods exist to organize information from secondary sources:
  • Location: Use diagrams, analogies, graphic representations, and maps to structure information about physical spaces.
  • Alphabet: Organize information alphabetically, like dictionaries and indexes.
  • Time: Arrange information chronologically, such as historical events or biographies.
  • Category: Group information based on shared characteristics (color, size, usage, brand, texture, material, gender, age, model, price, content, nature).
  • Hierarchy: Order information from highest to lowest rank (heaviest to lightest, smallest to biggest).

Skills Needed for Organizing Information

• Gathering Information: Requires research, critical thinking, organizational, communication, technical, observational, creativity, and ethical skills.
• Analyzing Information: Identify patterns, trends, and key themes.
• Evaluating Information: Assess source reliability, accuracy, and bias.
• Interpreting Information: Understand the meaning and significance of information.
• Generalizing Information: Draw conclusions and establish connections between pieces of information.
• Disseminating Information: Effectively communicate information to others.
• Sequencing Events: Understand chronological order and cause-and-effect relationships.
• Locating Information: Structure and arrange information for easy retrieval.

Examples of Secondary Sources and Ideas for Organizing Information

• Biography: Use the time method to organize details of a person's life. For example, The Rise and Fall of Imelda Marcos by Carmen Navarro Pedrosa.
• Non-fiction Book: Apply the category method to organize information about a specific subject. For example, Tim: Essays on Philippine Food and Culture by Doreen G. Fernandez.
• Almanac: Use the hierarchy method to arrange information on a series of events. Example: The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2020 by Johnson Sara.
• Atlas: Use the location method to structure details from different geographical areas. Example: Blue's World Map by Joan Blue, featured in the Van Loon Atlas.
• Dictionary: Employ the alphabet method to organize word definitions. Example: The Merriam-Webster Dictionary.

Activities and Exercises for Organizing Information

• Activity 1: Identify the skills necessary for composing written material and the skills associated with various organizational methods (categorizing, alphabetizing, gathering, disseminating, sequencing, locating).
• Activity 2: Apply different organizational methods to secondary source examples, such as alphabetizing continents, ranking national leaders hierarchically, and categorizing states of matter.
• Activity 3: Analyze the narrative "My Pair of Slippers," and apply the organizational strategies of alphabet, category, hierarchy, location, and time to the story's content.