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Hoover Library and the McDaniel Archives Reading Room will be closing for construction from Monday, 12/16/24, reopening Tuesday, 1/21/25. The librarians and all virtual resources and services will be available throughout the closure. For specific questions, contact Elizabeth Davidson. For information on holiday hours, please see our hours page.

RSM 550 - Introduction to Research Methodology: Primary Sources

Primary vs. Secondary Sources in the Sciences: Original Research or Reviews?

Primary sources convey first-hand experience of the event or time period you’re studying.

Secondary sources convey the experiences of others, or “second-hand” information; they often synthesize a collection of primary sources.

In the Sciences:

Primary (Research articles) =

Original scientific research; experiment or study conducted by author; actual rather than interpretive.

  • Clues within the article:
    • Read the abstract.  Look for phrases such as "we tested" or "we measured"
    • Methods section
    • Results section
    • Discussion section
    • Charts, statistical tables, etc.

Secondary (Review articles) =

Compilation, discussion, analysis, or criticism of scientific research by others;analyzes and interprets.

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