This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial 4.0 International License. | Details of our policyIn the sciences, sources are considered primary, secondary, or tertiary depending on how close they are to what is being studied (i.e., proximity to the original experimental research). See the boxes below for descriptions and examples of each type of source.
Also helpful is the University of Wisconsin-Madison Library's short video below on primary research articles in the sciences:
-Report the results of experimental research
-Authored by the scientists conducting the experimental research
-Are usually the first appearance of experimental results
-Can comment on or respond to the work of other authors but must still contain substantive original content or experimental research
-Can include informal communication between researchers through email or presented at conferences
Examples:
Sample: Nowinski, N., S. Trumbore, E. Schuur, M. Mack, and G. Shaver. 2008. Nutrient Addition Prompts Rapid Destabilization of Organic Matter in an Arctic Tundra Ecosystem. Ecosystems 11:16-25.
-Interpret, analyze, evaluate, and/or summarize the information reported by researchers in the primary literature, usually in an attempt to identify trends or draw broader conclusions
Examples:
Sample: Danovaro, R., P. V. R. Snelgrove, and P. Tyler. 2014. Challenging the paradigms of deep-sea ecology. Trends in Ecology & Evolution 29:465-475.
*A review article summarizes the results of several studies or experiments. Its author(s) is not the author(s) of most of the literature reviewed. Review articles appear in journals with titles such as:
Annual Review of _____
Current Opinion in _____
Nature Reviews
Trends in ____
-Summarize or condense information from primary and secondary sources into a convenient form.
Examples:
Sample: Encyclopedia of Ecology
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial 4.0 International License. | Details of our policy