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Primary sources in the sciences are publications which provide a full description of original research and present the results of that research. The most common example of a primary source in the sciences is a scholarly article containing original or new research published in a peer-reviewed journal. Primary sources in the sciences include a description of the research and the results and references to other research in the field, and are factual, not interpretive. They can also take the form of more personal records and correspondence, including lab notebooks, diaries, and letters.
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Primary Source |
Secondary Source |
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Definition |
Original materials that have not been filtered through interpretation or evaluation by a second party. |
Sources that contain commentary on or a discussion about a primary source. |
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Formats (depending on the research being conducted) |
See below for thorough list, but anything which presents the findings and presents full descriptions of original research. |
See below, but anything which does NOT present original results, but instead discusses, critiques or comments on original research. Necessarily comes later in the publication cycle. |
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Example: Scientists Studying Industrial Fertilizer |
Article in scholarly journal publishing results of testing for fertilizer levels. |
Newspaper editorial calling for regulations on use of industrial fertilizer. |
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Example of Types of Sources |
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(Source: http://research.pugetsound.edu/c.php?g=304191&p=2030252 and http://library.albany.edu/usered/dr/prisci.html)