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This handout specifically addresses Primary Sources in Science. For information about locating Scholarly and Peer-Reviewed journals in general, see Identifying Scholarly Journals.
Primary Research Literature
In the sciences, primary literature reports on research conducted by the authors.
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7. Primary articles often contain graphs and tables. However, secondary literature, such as review articles may also have graphs and tables.
Peer Review
Primary articles are often peer reviewed (sometimes called "refereed"). However, secondary literature, such as review articles may also be peer reviewed.
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- Even if you cannot find any dates, the journal could be a peer reviewed journal. Try entering the journal title into Google. The publisher's website for the journal is usually among the first several results. Publishers are proud to publish peer reviewed journals and will usually indicate peer review in their websites. Look for links like "About this Journal," or "Librarian information." Here's an example:
What's Not a Primary Research Article?
- News reports about research--though the report may have information you can use to find the primary research article.
- Encyclopedia articles --never report original research.
- Review articles. These are surveys of the literature on specific topics that summarize and explain the research of others and/or the previously published work of the authors, and are considered secondary sources. They often look very similar to primary research articles, but they are not. Here's how to tell:
- No "Methods," "Materials and Methods," or "Experimental" section or details. (Compare to #4 in the section on primary research articles above.)
- No "Results" section or details. (Compare to #5 in the section on primary research articles above.)
- The authors reference other sources throughout the paper. (In primary research articles, most references to others' work are generally confined to the introduction and discussion sections.)
- Databases like Science Direct may indicate review articles.
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