Primary and Secondary Sources

in Science Research

Stephanie H. Kinsler

User Services Librarian

Newburgh Campus

Primary Sources

Original materials that report original research, ideas,

or scientific discoveries for the first time

Examples:

• research study

• scientific experiment

• conference papers or proceedings

• master’s theses and doctoral dissertations

Primary SourcesTip: To know that an article is definitely “primary,” find the Methods or

Methodology section of the article (sometimes described under a

“Participants” heading).

Does this section described a specific group of study participants and is

the ENTIRE article (except for the literature review/intro. About the

described participants)?

YES = primary source

Example: “Sixty-nine patients were screened and 66 consented to

participate in the study.” (Serra et al., 2012, p. 619).

Secondary SourcesAny materials that interpret, analyze, or describe a primary source

Examples:

• Textbooks

• Best practices

• Meta-analyses- an article that combines the results of many studies

• Systematic reviews (Any article that “Review” in the title or abstract!)

• Letters to the editor/editorials

Parts of a Primary Research Study

An empirical article is a research article that reports the results of a study that uses data derived from actual observation or experimentation.

Abstract ... A paragraph length description of the study

Introduction...Statement of the hypotheses for the research and a review of other research (literature review) on the topic

Literature Review…Describes all past research on the particular topic at hand

Method ...A description of how the research was conducted, such as:◊ Who are participants◊ Design of the study◊ What the participants did◊ What measures were used (statistics and mathematical computations)

Results...The results section describes the outcomes of the measures of the study.

Discussion...The discussion section contains the interpretations and implications of the study.

Conclusion

References...A references, or bibliography, will contain citation information on the material cited in the report.