dissertations, conference proceedings, correspondence
Review articles, systematic reviews, meta-analysis, practice guidelines, monographs on a specific subject
Textbooks, encyclopedias, handbooks, newspapers
These examples and descriptions of publication types will give you an idea of how to use various works and why you would want to write a particular kind of paper.
Scholarly (aka empirical) article -- example
Empirical studies use data derived from observation or experiment. Original research papers (also called primary research articles) that describe empirical studies and their results are published in academic journals. Articles that report empirical research contain different sections which relate to the steps of the scientific method.
Abstract - The abstract provides a very brief summary of the research.
Introduction - The introduction sets the research in a context, which provides a review of related research and develops the hypotheses for the research.
Method - The method section describes how the research was conducted.
Results - The results section describes the outcomes of the study.
Discussion - The discussion section contains the interpretations and implications of the study.
References - A references section lists the articles, books, and other material cited in the report.
Review article -- example
A review article summarizes a particular field of study and places the recent research in context. It provides an overview and is an excellent introduction to a subject area. The references used in a review article are helpful as they lead to more in-depth research.
Many databases have limits or filters to search for review articles. You can also search by keywords like review article, survey, overview, summary, etc.
Conference proceedings, abstracts and reports -- example
Conference proceedings, abstracts and reports are not usually peer-reviewed. A conference article is similar to a scholarly article insofar as it is academic. Conference articles are published much more quickly than scholarly articles. You can find conference papers in many of the same places as scholarly articles.
To identify an article based on empirical research, look for the following characteristics:
The article is published in a peer-reviewed journal .
The article includes charts, graphs, or statistical analysis .
The article is substantial in size , likely to be more than 5 pages long.
The article contains the following parts (the exact terms may vary): abstract, introduction, method, results, discussion, references .
What is secondary research, why is secondary research important.
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Secondary research, also known as a literature review , preliminary research , historical research , background research , desk research , or library research , is research that analyzes or describes prior research. Rather than generating and analyzing new data, secondary research analyzes existing research results to establish the boundaries of knowledge on a topic, to identify trends or new practices, to test mathematical models or train machine learning systems, or to verify facts and figures. Secondary research is also used to justify the need for primary research as well as to justify and support other activities. For example, secondary research may be used to support a proposal to modernize a manufacturing plant, to justify the use of newly a developed treatment for cancer, to strengthen a business proposal, or to validate points made in a speech.
Because secondary research is used for so many purposes in so many settings, all professionals will be required to perform it at some point in their careers. For managers and entrepreneurs, regardless of the industry or profession, secondary research is a regular part of worklife, although parts of the research, such as finding the supporting documents, are often delegated to juniors in the organization. For all these reasons, it is essential to learn how to conduct secondary research, even if you are unlikely to ever conduct primary research.
Secondary research is also essential if your main goal is primary research. Research funding is obtained only by using secondary research to show the need for the primary research you want to conduct. In fact, primary research depends on secondary research to prove that it is indeed new and original research and not just a rehash or replication of somebody else’s work.
Anthropology, Archeology | Articles describing research, ethnographies, surveys, cultural and historical artifacts |
Communications, Journalism | News (printed, radio, TV, online), photographs, blogs, social media sites |
Education, Political Science, Public Policy | Government publications, laws, court cases, speeches, test results, interviews, polls, surveys |
Fine Arts | Original artwork, photographs, recordings of performances and music, scripts (film, theater, television), music scores, interviews, memoirs, diaries, letters |
History | Government publications, newspapers, photographs, diaries, letters, manuscripts, business records, court cases, videos, polls, census data, speeches |
Language and Literature | Novels, plays, short stories, poems, dictionaries, language manuals |
Psychology, Sociology, Economics | Articles describing research, experiment results, ethnographies, interviews, surveys, data sets |
Sciences | Articles describing research and methodologies, documentation of lab research, research studies |
What is a secondary source.
Anthropology, Archeology | Reviews of the literature, critical interpretations of scholarly studies |
Communications, Journalism | Interpretive journal articles, books, and blogs about the communications industry. |
Education, Political Science, Public Policy | Reviews of the literature, critical interpretations of scholarly studies |
Fine Arts | Critical interpretations of art and artists—biographies, reviews, recordings of live performances |
History | Interpretive journal articles and books |
Language and Literature | Literary criticism, biographies, reviews, text books |
Psychology, Sociology, Economics | Reviews of the literature, critical interpretations of scholarly studies |
Sciences | Publications about the significance of research or experiments |
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Primary v. secondary sources.
A question to ask yourself when trying to identify primary or secondary sources is:
Did the person writing the thing do the thing?
While this may sound odd, the best indicator that something is a primary source is if the author of the piece actually DID the work that led to the creation of the resource.
These are some other things to consider with primary and secondary sources.
In primary source documents, the person writing the piece actually did the research, or witnessed the event, or created something entirely new. These are some examples of primary sources:
Secondary sources evaluate or analyze what others have done or witnessed or created. The authors didn't go out and do it, they just analyzed it or wrote about it. These are some examples of secondary sources:
When looking at a resource to determine whether it is primary or secondary, words that describe the action of the author can be helpful. For example, words like these can indicate actual research carried out:
In secondary resources, since the focus is on analyzing or discussion of a primary source, you would look for words that describe the action of the author indicating that this is an analysis or discussion, such as:
You will need to examine the abstract and/or the article to determine if the resource is primary or secondary. While the words above can help indicate the type of resource, this is not a cut and dried process where if you see a particular word, that means the resource is always primary.
Locating a findings section in an article doesn't mean the source is either primary or secondary. Check to see whether the authors did the research themselves, or whether they analyzed research done by others.
For example, in the article, "School counselors' strategies for social justice change: A grounded theory of what works in the real world," these are some of the key elements from the abstract that indicate that it is a primary, research article:
The primary source authors actually talked to 16 school counselors, using grounded methodology, to come up with their findings based on the research that the authors actually did. Here, the authors did the research themselves and then reported on it.
Singh, A. A., Urbano, A., Haston, M., & McMahon, E. (2010). School counselors' strategies for social justice change: A grounded theory of what works in the real world. Professional School Counseling , 13 (3), 135-145. https://doi.org/10.5330/PSC.n.2010-13.135
This is an example of an article that is a secondary source, with some of the key elements highlighted:
In the article abstract, "Advocacy for health equity: A synthesis review," these are some of the key elements that indicate it is a secondary source article:
What makes the secondary source secondary is that the authors used other authors' research, analyzing and synthesizing the information to come up with their conclusions, or findings.
Farrer, L., Marinetti, C., Cavaco, Y. K., & Costongs, C. (2015). Advocacy for health equity: A synthesis review. Milbank Quarterly , 93 (2), 392-437. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-0009.12112
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When evaluating primary or secondary sources, asked questions to help ascertain the nature and value of material being considered:
Source materials must be assessed critically; even the most scrupulous and thorough work is viewed through the eyes of the writer/interpreter. This must be taken into account when one is attempting to arrive at the 'truth' of an event.
Interview / oral history/ empirical research article, law / court case / census data / data set / memoir / autobiography / photographs / speeches, primary sources.
Primary sources are created by people or organizations directly involved in an issue or event. Primary sources are information before it has been analyzed by scholars, students, and others.
Some examples of primary sources:
Book / literature review / essay / review, analysis of data / biography / political commentary / analysis, secondary sources.
Secondary sources analyze and interpret issues and events. Secondary sources, such as scholarly articles, are typically written by experts who study a topic but are not directly involved in events themselves. Also, secondary sources are usually produced some time after an event occurs and may well contain analysis of primary sources.
Some examples of secondary sources:
TIP : If you are looking at peer-reviewed articles, look at the abstract to verify if is a primary or secondary source! If the title mentions the words: review , it is likely to be secondary.
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Primary sources are different in the sciences than other areas of study. The question to ask to determine if a source is primary or secondary in science is, "Did the authors of this paper collect the data?" There are several clues to answer this question.
Primary source —the work represents original research
Secondary source —the work reflects on, synthesizes, or reviews the research of others.
The article below is a secondary source, not only because it says "review" in the title, but also because the article mentions it is a survey of other articles.
Primary vs. secondary sources, original articles vs review articles, review type breakdown.
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Some definitions:
Original materials on which other research is based.
Usually the first formal appearance of results in the print or electronic literature.
Present information in its original form, neither interpreted nor condensed nor evaluated by other writers.
Are from the time period (for example, something written close to when what it is recording happened is likely to be a primary source.)
Present original thinking, report on discoveries, or share new information.
Some examples:
Scientific journal articles reporting experimental research results
Proceedings of Meetings, Conferences and Symposia.
Technical reports
Dissertations or theses ( may also be secondary )
Internet communications on email, listservs, and newsgroups
In science, secondary sources are those which simplify the process of finding and evaluating the primary literature. They tend to be works which repackage, reorganize, reinterpret, summarise, index or otherwise "add value" to the new information reported in the primary literature.
Describe, interpret, analyze and evaluate the primary sources.
Comment on and discuss the evidence provided by primary sources.
Are works which are one or more steps removed from the event or information they refer to, being written after the fact with the benefit of hindsight.
Dictionaries and encyclopedias
Handbooks and data compilations
Journal articles, particularly in disciplines other than science ( may also be primary )
Monographs (other than fiction and autobiography)
Newspaper and popular magazine articles ( may also be primary )
Review articles and literature reviews
Primary, Secondary & Tertiary Sources Written by Ward Saylor & Helen Hooper for Information and Research Support, within the Information Services program of the Academic Support Division at James Cook University, July, 2000. http://cms.jcu.edu.au/libcomp/assist/guides/azguides/JCUPRD_030412
It can be difficult to tell the difference between original research articles and review articles. You can use this chart to help you.
You can also read the article abstract for clues. If you see phrases such as "we tested" and "in our study, we measured", it will tell you that the article is reporting on original research.
The following chart offers a brief summarization oft the review types featured in this guide along with their perceived strengths and weaknesses. For more, full-fledge explanation, please visit each review's corresponding page within this guide.
Type | |||
Generic term; published materials that offer an examination of recent/current literature. Can cover wide range of topics at various levels of completeness and comprehensiveness | Brings together what has been accomplished without repetition and identifying gaps or omission all within a summation | No set method to ensure completeness or comprehensiveness. Includes high chance of bias | |
Aims to demonstrate that the writer has extensively researched the literature and critically evaluated it for quality. Goes beyond simple description to include a degree of analysis and synthesis. Typically results in the formation of hypothesis or model | Used to look at the entire body of work on a given topic. Can be used to introduce an idea, resolve competing theories, or call for testing on a topic. | Its methods do nor require the same degree of systematicity when compared to other review methodologies. No requirement to present the methods of the search, synthesis, and analysis explicitly. The focus is on the conceptual contribution of the included literature, not on formal quality assessment. Resulting product is a starting point for further evaluation, not an endpoint | |
Summarizes past empirical or theoretical literature to provide a more comprehensive understanding of a particular phenomenon or healthcare problem; often implemented by nursing research communities | Commonly includes non-experimental research, such as case studies, observational studies, and meta-analyses, but may also include practice applications, theory, and guidelines. Can help inform healthcare policy and practice | Combining different types of studies can lead to a lack of thoroughness and an increase in bias. No set method for conducting analysis and synthesis | |
Map and categorize existing literature from which to commission further reviews and/or primary research by identifying gaps in the literature | Enables contextualization of in-depth systematic review process within broader literature and identification of evidence gaps. Can help determine what is needed to make an informed decision on a topic, or if a subset can be reviewed due to theoretical perspective, population group, or setting of the study | Time constrained, do not usually included quality assessment, and lack synthesis and analysis of more considered approaches. Studies can be characterized at a broad level which may oversimplify the picture regarding studies and their findings | |
Technique that statistically combines the results of quantitative studies to provide a more precise effect of the results | Utilizes small or inconclusive studies into other studies to aid in forming conclusions that the user would otherwise be unable to do | Cannot be better than its included studies allow. Some have argued that the combination of studies is comparing apples and oranges | |
Specifically refers to the a review compiling evidence from multiple viewpoints into one document. Focuses on broad condition or problem for which there are competing interventions. Highlights reviews that address these interventions and their results | Compiles the evidence of multiple reviews to answer a specific question. Creates a balance between macro-scale reviews and reviews that adopt a micro-focus to examine a specific topic thus becoming hyper-specific | Is dependent upon there already being a narrower sub-section of reviews on the topic | |
Assessment of what is already known about a policy of practice issue. Uses systematic review methods to search and critically appraise existing research | Designed to be completed quickly by using less systematic search strategies, looking at other reviews but not grey literature | Shortened time frame leads to limited quality assessment which increases the risk of including biased or low quality research | |
Preliminary assessment of potential size and scope of available research literature. Seeks to identify nature and extent of research evidence | Are used to determine if a full systematic review will be necessary to form a conclusion | Possesses a higher risk of being biased | |
Seeks to systematically search for, appraise, and synthesis research evidence, typically adhering to strict guidelines on the conduct of a review | Comprehensive, seeks to include all knowledge, including grey literature, on a given topic | Time-intensive and lengthy process. Strict inclusion/exclusion criteria that can be restrictive and/or hinder wide scale application of methodology when providing conclusions | |
Review features components of the systematic review process while stopping short of systematic review. Typically conducted for postgraduate work (thesis/dissertation/capstone) | Models the systematic review process and allows the author to demonstrate an awareness of the systematic review process and technical proficiency in the component steps. May form the basis for a more extensive work | The quality assessment and the synthesis are usually less defined, this can lead to bias. Such reviews do possess a greater likelihood of bias than those that adhere more strictly to guidelines on the conduct of systematic reviews |
Grant, Maria J., and Andrew Booth. “A Typology of Reviews: An Analysis of 14 Review Types and Associated Methodologies.” Health Information & Libraries Journal, vol. 26, no. 2, June 2009, pp. 91–108. Wiley Online Library, doi:10.1111/j.1471-1842.2009.00848.x.
In the social sciences, a secondary source is usually a scholar book, journal article, or digital or print document that was created by someone who did not directly experience or participate in the events or conditions under investigation. Secondary sources are not evidence per se, but rather, provide an interpretation, analysis, or commentary derived from the content of primary source materials and/or other secondary sources.
To do research, you must cite research. Primary sources do not represent research per se, but only the artifacts from which most research is derived. Therefore, the majority of sources in a literature review are secondary sources that present research findings, analysis, and the evaluation of other researcher's works.
Reviewing secondary source material can be of valu e in improving your overall research paper because secondary sources facilitate the communication of what is known about a topic. This literature also helps you understand the level of uncertainty about what is currently known and what additional information is needed from further research. It is important to note, however, that secondary sources are not the subject of your analysis. Instead, they represent various opinions, interpretations, and arguments about the research problem you are investigating--opinions, interpretations, and arguments with which you may either agree or disagree with as part of your own analysis of the literature.
Examples of secondary sources you could review as part of your overall study include: * Bibliographies [also considered tertiary] * Biographical works * Books, other than fiction and autobiography * Commentaries, criticisms * Dictionaries, Encyclopedias [also considered tertiary] * Histories * Journal articles [depending on the discipline, they can be primary] * Magazine and newspaper articles [this distinction varies by discipline] * Textbooks [also considered tertiary] * Web site [also considered primary]
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Methodology
Published on January 20, 2023 by Tegan George . Revised on January 12, 2024.
Secondary research is a research method that uses data that was collected by someone else. In other words, whenever you conduct research using data that already exists, you are conducting secondary research. On the other hand, any type of research that you undertake yourself is called primary research .
Secondary research can be qualitative or quantitative in nature. It often uses data gathered from published peer-reviewed papers, meta-analyses, or government or private sector databases and datasets.
When to use secondary research, types of secondary research, examples of secondary research, advantages and disadvantages of secondary research, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions.
Secondary research is a very common research method, used in lieu of collecting your own primary data. It is often used in research designs or as a way to start your research process if you plan to conduct primary research later on.
Since it is often inexpensive or free to access, secondary research is a low-stakes way to determine if further primary research is needed, as gaps in secondary research are a strong indication that primary research is necessary. For this reason, while secondary research can theoretically be exploratory or explanatory in nature, it is usually explanatory: aiming to explain the causes and consequences of a well-defined problem.
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Secondary research can take many forms, but the most common types are:
Literature reviews, case studies, content analysis.
There is ample data available online from a variety of sources, often in the form of datasets. These datasets are often open-source or downloadable at a low cost, and are ideal for conducting statistical analyses such as hypothesis testing or regression analysis .
Credible sources for existing data include:
A literature review is a survey of preexisting scholarly sources on your topic. It provides an overview of current knowledge, allowing you to identify relevant themes, debates, and gaps in the research you analyze. You can later apply these to your own work, or use them as a jumping-off point to conduct primary research of your own.
Structured much like a regular academic paper (with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion), a literature review is a great way to evaluate the current state of research and demonstrate your knowledge of the scholarly debates around your topic.
A case study is a detailed study of a specific subject. It is usually qualitative in nature and can focus on a person, group, place, event, organization, or phenomenon. A case study is a great way to utilize existing research to gain concrete, contextual, and in-depth knowledge about your real-world subject.
You can choose to focus on just one complex case, exploring a single subject in great detail, or examine multiple cases if you’d prefer to compare different aspects of your topic. Preexisting interviews , observational studies , or other sources of primary data make for great case studies.
Content analysis is a research method that studies patterns in recorded communication by utilizing existing texts. It can be either quantitative or qualitative in nature, depending on whether you choose to analyze countable or measurable patterns, or more interpretive ones. Content analysis is popular in communication studies, but it is also widely used in historical analysis, anthropology, and psychology to make more semantic qualitative inferences.
Secondary research is a broad research approach that can be pursued any way you’d like. Here are a few examples of different ways you can use secondary research to explore your research topic .
Secondary research is a very common research approach, but has distinct advantages and disadvantages.
Advantages include:
Disadvantages include:
Many researchers using the same secondary research to form similar conclusions can also take away from the uniqueness and reliability of your research. Many datasets become “kitchen-sink” models, where too many variables are added in an attempt to draw increasingly niche conclusions from overused data . Data cleansing may be necessary to test the quality of the research.
If you want to know more about statistics , methodology , or research bias , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.
Research bias
A systematic review is secondary research because it uses existing research. You don’t collect new data yourself.
The research methods you use depend on the type of data you need to answer your research question .
Quantitative research deals with numbers and statistics, while qualitative research deals with words and meanings.
Quantitative methods allow you to systematically measure variables and test hypotheses . Qualitative methods allow you to explore concepts and experiences in more detail.
We strongly encourage students to use sources in their work. You can cite our article (APA Style) or take a deep dive into the articles below.
George, T. (2024, January 12). What is Secondary Research? | Definition, Types, & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved August 19, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/methodology/secondary-research/
Largan, C., & Morris, T. M. (2019). Qualitative Secondary Research: A Step-By-Step Guide (1st ed.). SAGE Publications Ltd.
Peloquin, D., DiMaio, M., Bierer, B., & Barnes, M. (2020). Disruptive and avoidable: GDPR challenges to secondary research uses of data. European Journal of Human Genetics , 28 (6), 697–705. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41431-020-0596-x
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Published literature can be either peer-reviewed or non-peer-reviewed. Official research reports are almost always peer reviewed while a journal's other content is usually not. In the health sciences, official research can be primary, secondary, or even tertiary. It can be an original experiment or investigation (primary), an analysis or evaluation of primary research (secondary), or findings that compile secondary research (tertiary). If you are doing research yourself, then primary or secondary sources can reveal more in-depth information.
Primary research is information presented in its original form without interpretation by other researchers. While it may acknowledge previous studies or sources, it always presents original thinking, reports on discoveries, or new information about a topic.
Health sciences research that is primary includes both experimental trials and observational studies where subjects may be tested for outcomes or investigated to gain relevant insight. Randomized Controlled Trials are the most prominent experimental design because randomized subjects offer the most compelling evidence for the effectiveness of an intervention. See the below graphic and below powerpoint for further information on primary research studies.
Secondary research is an account of original events or facts. It is secondary to and retrospective of the actual findings from an experiment or trial. These studies may be appraised summaries, reviews, or interpretations of primary sources and often exclude the original researcher(s). In the health sciences, meta-analysis and systematic reviews are the most frequent types of secondary research.
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What's the difference, primary sources and research, secondary sources and research, tertiary sources, comparison chart.
Telling the difference between primary, secondary, and tertiary sources can often be confusing because the difference is more about the content of the source than the published format. The format may be a first indicator of whether or not a source is primary, but evaluating the content will be the ultimate judgement call.
Primary and secondary sources often differ based on the academic discipline.
This page will give you some guidance on deciding whether a source can be considered primary or not. Many of the formats listed on this guide will exist in both physical and digital modes.
To start, the following video from the Australian National University Library gives an excellent explanation of the different contexts in which sources can be considered primary, secondary, or tertiary.
Primary sources are the original documents of an event or discovery. Primary sources are also records of events as they are first described. They are often considered the most credible sources of evidence and are complimented by secondary which will analyze and give context to primary sources.
Some examples of primary sources are:
*Newspaper articles that report on a recent event can be primary sources, but articles that rehash previous events are not primary sources, unless they add new information to the story.
Where do I find primary sources?
It depends on your discipline, but here are are some places to start.
Secondary sources offer an analysis or a restatement of an event or discovery described in primary sources. They interpret, explain, critique, or otherwise analyze primary sources. Some secondary sources are used to persuade the reader and may be considered less objective.
Examples of secondary sources include:
*Many academic articles include short literature reviews to establish a starting place or a jumping off point for their own, original research; these are still considered primary sources. However, articles that only review or analyze previously published articles and contain no new research are secondary sources; these articles are called systematic literature reviews and can be good sources of information about the state of research on a certain topic.
Where do I find secondary sources?
Tertiary sources offer a summary or restatement of facts and research from both primary and secondary sources. The main difference between secondary and tertiary sources is that tertiary sources offer no new information and no analysis of the information from primary and secondary sources.
Tertiary sources are often great places to collect background information and to help locate primary and secondary research.
Examples of tertiary sources include:
Where do I find tertiary sources?
The following databases contain reference sources like encyclopedia, dictionaries, and handbooks.
Authoritative coverage of thousands of topics in all areas of study.
Encyclopaedia Britannica's latest article database (including hundreds of articles not found in the print edition), Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary and Thesaurus, and the Britannica Book of the Year (1994-present), with thousands of web links selected by editors. Updated daily.
Recent editions of many major reference books.
Over 400 dictionary, language reference, and subject reference works published by Oxford University Press
Fully indexed, cross-searchable database of over 400 dictionary, language reference, and subject reference works published by Oxford University Press. Includes subject reference works in the humanities, social sciences, and science--both "Quick Reference" titles (concise dictionaries, etc.) and larger "Reference Library" titles (multi-volume encyclopedias, etc.).
A searchable collection of over 150 scholarly encyclopedias, handbooks, and reference books in the social sciences.
Covers anthropology, communication, education, geography, health, history, law, management, politics, psychology, and sociology.
Concise introductions to a diverse range of subject areas in the sciences, social sciences, and arts and humanities.
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You may have heard of various sources described as primary or secondary. These are categories that help scholars determine the use case for different types of materials that they might cite in their papers and projects.
Records of events or evidence as they are first described or actually happened without any interpretation or commentary. Information that is shown for the first time or original materials on which other research is based. Display original thinking, report new discoveries, or share fresh information.
Examples include:
Offer an analysis, interpretation, or restatement of primary sources and present an argument or perspective. Often presents synthesis, interpretation, commentary, or evaluation to further the creator's argument or perspective. Intended to describe or explain primary sources.
Examples include:
Whether a source is primary or secondary depends on how you use it and the topic of your paper! If you’re not sure, ask a librarian for help!
Most BU writing program courses will use BEAM/BEAT to help you understand the context of your sources. You will find that Exhibit sources are often primary while Argument and Methodology/Theory sources are often secondary. Check out the Applying BEAM/BEAT page for more information!
Adapted from University of Minnesota Crookston Library (n.d.). Primary, secondary, and tertiary Sources . https://crk.umn.edu/library/
primary-secondary-and-tertiary-sources
Characteristics | Popular Resources | Scholarly Resources | Community Resources |
---|---|---|---|
Audience | general public | scholars in the field | within the community or the public |
Author | member of the public, a journalist, or an author | someone with academic expertise in the field | a member of the community of interest |
Published | immediately or following editing | following extensive research, editing, and peer review | wide range of formats |
Scholarly books & journal articles.
Written by people with academic expertise in the field. Use these to understand current and past research on your topic. Academic books are more broadly focused than articles. Use books to understand background information and the context of your topic. Articles will be narrowly focused and include jargon. Be sure to check the bibliography for other scholarly sources.
Written by graduating PhD and Masters students, these represent a deep exploration of a niche topic. Contains an extensive works cited section.
Review of scholarship on a topic, including information gaps and opportunities for further research.
News, media, & general trade books.
Created by journalists and authors, these resources go through an editing process. Use these to understand the wider framing of conversations around your topic at a given point in time.
Unmediated online sources can help you understand conversations around your topic in the public sphere. This is a way to find direct information from opinions to contemporaneous reactions involving your topic.
Self-published materials.
Examples include: Grassroots Archives, Indigenous Knowledge, Oral Histories, Nonprofit Advocacy Groups, Zines
Types of knowledge outside academia are often devalued or excluded from research and scholarship. Look for community voices on your topic by thinking outside the box of traditional scholarship.
Look for voices inside of impacted communities. This could include social media posts or zines written by and for a particular group of people.
IMAGES
COMMENTS
Primary sources provide raw information and first-hand evidence. Examples include interview transcripts, statistical data, and works of art. Primary research gives you direct access to the subject of your research. Secondary sources provide second-hand information and commentary from other researchers. Examples include journal articles, reviews ...
The simplest definition of primary sources is either original information (such as survey data) or a first person account of an event (such as an interview transcript). Whereas secondary sources are any publshed or unpublished works that describe, summarise, analyse, evaluate, interpret or review primary source materials.
Scholarly, professional literature falls under 3 categories, primary, secondary, and tertiary. Published works (also known as a publication) may fall into one or more of these categories, depending on the discipline. See definitions and linked examples of primary, secondary, and tertiary sources. Differences in Publishing Norms by Broader ...
The term primary source is used broadly to embody all sources that are original. Primary sources provide first-hand information that is closest to the object of study. Primary sources vary by discipline. In the natural and social sciences, original reports of research found in academic journals detailing the methodology used in the research, in ...
A primary source gives you direct access to the subject of your research. Secondary sources provide second-hand information and commentary from other researchers. Examples include journal articles, reviews, and academic books. A secondary source describes, interprets, or synthesises primary sources. Primary sources are more credible as evidence ...
Primary sources are first-hand, authoritative accounts of an event, topic, or historical time period. They are typically produced at the time of the event by a person who experienced it, but can also be made later on in the form of personal memoirs or oral histories. Anything that contains original information on a topic is considered a primary ...
Characterizes quantity and quality of literature, perhaps by study design and other key features. May identify need for primary or secondary research: Meta-analysis: Technique that statistically combines the results of quantitative studies to provide a more precise effect of the results: Aims for exhaustive, comprehensive searching.
Book or movie reviews ; In the sciences, secondary sources tend to be things like literature reviews (synthesized descriptions of previous scholarship on a topic), systematic reviews (overviews of primary sources on a topic), or meta analyses (studies in which conclusions are drawn from consideration of systematic reviews).
Review articles can range from highly intensive systematic or integrative reviews or less rigorous literature reviews. Textbooks -- The information in textbooks in the sciences is the product of past research. Monographs -- A monograph is a book-length scholarly publication dedicated to a single topic. Secondary sources can save you time by ...
Tertiary Literature. Tertiary literature consists of a distillation and collection of primary and secondary sources such as textbooks, encyclopedia articles, and guidebooks or handbooks. The purpose of tertiary literature is to provide an overview of key research findings and an introduction to principles and practices within the discipline.
Secondary research, also known as a literature review, preliminary research, historical research, background research, desk research, or library research, is research that analyzes or describes prior research.Rather than generating and analyzing new data, secondary research analyzes existing research results to establish the boundaries of knowledge on a topic, to identify trends or new ...
The most common secondary resources are books, journal articles, or literature reviews. Secondary sources may also be primary sources. For example, if someone studies the nature of literary criticism in the 19th century then a literary critique from the 19th century becomes a primary resource.
Primary and secondary sources can be different publication types. Articles can be primary or secondary, just as books can be. Primary and secondary sources are not related to peer review in any way. Peer-reviewed articles can be either primary or secondary sources. There is no perfect database limiter for primary or secondary, either.
Also, secondary sources are usually produced some time after an event occurs and may well contain analysis of primary sources. Some examples of secondary sources: scholarly articles that analyze, review, and/or compare past research; news reports or articles looking back at a historical event; documentaries; biographies; encyclopedias; textbooks
Will include a review of past work by others, but this is meant to provide context for original data collection and analysis. Clues that the article is a secondary source: Describes the work of other scientists. Title or abstract includes the terms review, literature review, or meta-analysis. May not include a methods section.
Secondary Sources. In science, secondary sources are those which simplify the process of finding and evaluating the primary literature. They tend to be works which repackage, reorganize, reinterpret, summarise, index or otherwise "add value" to the new information reported in the primary literature. ... Literature Review: Generic term ...
Secondary sources are best identified by their use of primary articles as source material.Examples of secondary sources include: review articles, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses.Other sources, such as practice guidelines and expert topic summaries are usually considered secondary as well (although some would argue that they are tertiary since they reference both primary and secondary ...
Therefore, the majority of sources in a literature review are secondary sources that present research findings, analysis, and the evaluation of other researcher's works. Reviewing secondary source material can be of valu e in improving your overall research paper because secondary sources facilitate the communication of what is known about a topic.
Tip: Primary vs. secondary sources It can be easy to get confused about the difference between primary and secondary sources in your research. ... Example: Literature review You are interested in the reactions of campus police to student protest movements on campus. You decide to conduct a literature review of scholarly works about student ...
It is secondary to and retrospective of the actual findings from an experiment or trial. These studies may be appraised summaries, reviews, or interpretations of primary sources and often exclude the original researcher(s). In the health sciences, meta-analysis and systematic reviews are the most frequent types of secondary research.
*Many academic articles include short literature reviews to establish a starting place or a jumping off point for their own, original research; these are still considered primary sources. However, articles that only review or analyze previously published articles and contain no new research are secondary sources; these articles are called ...
Primary literature may also include conference papers, pre-prints, or preliminary reports. Secondary Literature/Source Secondary literature consists of interpretations and evaluations that are derived from or refer to the primary source literature. Examples include review articles (e.g., meta-analysis and systematic reviews) and reference works.
Secondary Sources. Offer an analysis, interpretation, or restatement of primary sources and present an argument or perspective. Often presents synthesis, interpretation, commentary, or evaluation to further the creator's argument or perspective. ... Literature & Systematic Reviews . Review of scholarship on a topic, including information gaps ...
The literature review is the detailed summary of previous study that was conducted on a given topic whereas secondary research is the use of already existing data as a method or inquiry. In literature reviews, we can use both primary and secondary sources in the summary whereas, in the secondary research, we conduct a review of secondary ...