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Aerospace Engineering Research Guide

Finding Background Information

Finding Background Information
Use these sources to gain familiarity with your topic, narrow your research question, provide context, and identify experts.

Choosing a Topic

Choosing a Topic
Taking the time to carefully choose and refine your topic can save you significant time and effort later in your research.

Understanding Primary and Secondary Sources

Understanding Primary and Secondary Sources 

Primary sources = Original Research

  • Written by the scientists(s) or researcher(s) who conducted the experiment or study
  • Should include sections detailing how the research was performed such as methodology, results, and discussion/conclusions

Secondary sources = Summarize, Review or Compare

  • Authors did not conduct the research studies which are mentioned or cited in the article themselves
  • Purpose is to summarize, review, or compare the published research on a specific topic