ISCI 202 (Lewis)

Primary Sources

Primary sources = original research

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

In primary sources:

• The abstracts often talk about performing a study or conducting an investigation
• The articles often contain a methods section or describe how the original research was performed
• The focus is often narrower, investigating specific research questions
• While most research articles contain a brief literature review in their introduction, it is not the primary purpose of the paper

Secondary Sources

Secondary sources = summary, review, or comparison

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

In secondary sources:

• The abstracts often talk about summarizing existing evidence
• The articles often do not include a methods section
• The focus is often on summarizing and analyzing a broad set of questions related to a research area