Primary and Secondary Sources in Science Research

Stephanie HerfelUser Services LibrarianNewburgh Campus

Primary Sourcesoriginal materials that provide firsthand records of events,

experiments, creative works, or statisticsExample: a research study, a poem, play, a diary, a letter

Secondary SourcesAny materials that interpret, analyze, or

describe a primary sourceExample:

Editorial and review articles, magazine articles, literary criticisms, textbooks, commentaries, book reviews

Primary or Secondary?A research study that measures infants’ brain waves

Primary or Secondary?A news program that reports “A new study adds to mounting evidence that measuring brain activity during infancy could help determine whether a baby might be at higher risk of developing autism.”

Primary or Secondary?

Primary or Secondary?Barnes, I. (1985). Anne Frank: Forty years on. History Today, 35(3), 48.

Primary or Secondary?

Van Gogh’s Starry Night

Primary or Secondary?

Primary or Secondary?Mansour, W. (2008). The Taming of Romeo in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Explicator, 66(4), 206-208.

A literary criticism (article) of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet

Primary or Secondary?Warner, M., Mocarelli, P., Brambilla, P., Wesselink, A., Samuels, S.,

Signorini, S., & Eskenazi, B. (2013). Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome, and Obesity in Relation to Serum Dioxin Concentrations: The Seveso Women's Health Study. Environmental Health Perspectives, 121(8), 906-911. doi:10.1289/ehp.1206113

Primary or Secondary?Bacon, C. (2013). Supporting children and young people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in school. British Journal Of School Nursing, 8(5), 222-226.

Primary or Secondary?Abayomi, J., Wood, L., Spelman, S., Morrison, G., & Purewal, T. (2013). The multidisciplinary management of type 2 and gestational diabetes in pregnancy. British Journal Of Midwifery,21(4), 236-242.

Primary or Secondary?Rui, L., Bilik, D., Brown, M. B., Ping, Z., Ettner, S. L., Ackermann, R. T., & ... Herman, W. H. (2013). Medical Costs Associated With Type 2 Diabetes Complications and Comorbidities. American Journal Of Managed Care, 19(5), 421-430.

http://youtu.be/3SmOq6gENPM 

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.

Parts of a Empirical or Research Study

Abstract ... A paragraph length description of the studyIntroduction...Statement of the hypotheses for the research and a review of other research (literature review) on the topic.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.References...A references, or bibliography, will contain citation information on the material cited in the report.