In the sciences, primary sources are often journal articles that describe a research study and its results.
Journal Article Characteristics:
Audience | Scholars, researchers, professors, students. |
Author | Professionals, experts in the field. Credentials are listed in the article. |
Content | Original research. |
Length | Usually lengthy, often 10-25 pages long. |
Citations | Cited sources are typically scholarly ones. |
Refereed | Yes; Articles go through a peer-review process where they are critiqued by other experts in the field before they are published. |
Example | This is an example of a primary article. |
Secondary sources describe or review research conducted by someone else. These include a type of journal article called a review article.
Review Article Characteristics:
Audience | Scholars, researchers, professors, students. |
Author | Professionals, experts in the field. Credentials or affiliations are listed. |
Content | Discusses a range of studies and puts them in context. |
Length | Usually lengthy, 20 - 40 pages long. |
Citations | An extensive list of sources are cited. |
Refereed | No. Will be reviewed by journal editors, but not peer reviewed. |
Example: | This is an example of a secondary journal article. |
The popular press is another example of a type of secondary source that most of us encounter on a daily basis.
Newspaper / Magazine Article Characteristics:
Audience | General readers. |
Author | Varies, but typically journalists, staff writers, 'guest' experts. May not be signed. |
Content | Non-technical, entertainment, news. May report on original research (such as breaking medical research). |
Length | Usually short, 1-5 pages. |
Citations | No. May mention or quote key people or institutions in a story. |
Refereed | No. Usually has Editors and staff for grammar correction and basic fact checking. |
Example: | This is an example of a secondary article. |
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