What kind of source contains original research reports?
Primary sourcesA primary source provides direct or firsthand evidence about an event, object, person, or work of art. Primary sources include historical and legal documents, eyewitness accounts, results of experiments, statistical data, pieces of creative writing, audio and video recordings, speeches, and art objects. Interviews, surveys, fieldwork, and Internet communications via email, blogs, listservs, and newsgroups are also primary sources. In the natural and social sciences, primary sources are often empirical studies—research where an experiment was performed or a direct observation was made. The results of empirical studies are typically found in scholarly articles or papers delivered at conferences. Show
Secondary SourcesSecondary sources describe, discuss, interpret, comment upon, analyze, evaluate, summarize, and process primary sources. Secondary source materials can be articles in newspapers or popular magazines, book or movie reviews, or articles found in scholarly journals that discuss or evaluate someone else's original research. Definition courtesy of Ithaca College Library Research Guide, Primary vs Secondary section. Primary Sources In the sciences, primary sources are very specific. Primary source documents in the sciences focus on original research, ideas, or findings and are most often published in scholarly journals or presented at academic conferences. These articles or presentations mark the first publication of such research; they present new data and detail the researcher’s methodology and results. Primary sources are factual, not interpretive, and include sources such as
Secondary Sources Secondary sources in the sciences analyze and interpret primary research results. These sources usually have the goal of summarizing, explaining, or providing an overview of a topic, and can help place the research in context. Secondary literature is often published in books, magazines, or journals. Secondary sources include sources such as
A primary source is an original document containing firsthand information about a topic. Different fields of study may use different types of primary sources. Common examples
of a primary source are: A secondary source contains commentary on or discussion about a primary source. The most important
feature of secondary sources is that they offer an interpretation of information gathered from primary sources. Common examples of a secondary source are:
Primary vs. Secondary InformationPrimary sources are first hand sources; secondary sources are second-hand sources. For example, suppose there had been a car accident. The description of the accident which a witness gives to the police is a primary source because it comes from someone who was actually there at the time. The next day's newspaper story is a secondary source because the reporter who wrote the story did not actually witness the event. The reporter is presenting a way of understanding the accident or an interpretation. *From North Park University, History Department However, the distinctions between primary and secondary sources can be ambiguous. It is important to remember that you cannot determine whether a source is primary or secondary solely based on the document type. An individual document may be a primary source in one context and a secondary source in another. For example, the movie Love, Marilyn is a secondary source when the topic is Marilyn Monroe; it would be considered a primary source if the topic of research was the works of Liz Garbus (the film's director). Additionally, time can be a defining element. For example, a recent newspaper article is not usually a primary source; but a newspaper article from the 1860s may be a primary source for United States Civil War research. *From CBB Library and IT Consortium
Examples of Primary and Secondary SourcesSometimes, the same source might be a primary source for one research paper and a secondary source for another. It all depends on the relationship of the source to your research question. For example, if you are researching Franklin Roosevelt's life, the book No ordinary time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The home front in World War II by Doris Kearns Goodwin would be a secondary source. If you were researching the literary style of Ms. Goodwin, it would be a primary source. *From Joyner Library, East Carolina University
More on Primary SourcesThe Primary Sources research guide features even more tips for identifying and finding primary sources. Access the GuideThis Resource is Included in These PlaylistsStill Have Questions?Librarians are standing by 24/7, ready with answers. Go ahead, ask us! ASK US!What type of source is original research?Primary Sources
It is information that is shown for the first time or original materials on which other research is based.
Is original research a primary or secondary source?Primary sources include:
Original research – results of experiments, interviews, questionnaires, studies, surveys, archaeological digs. Personal works – diaries, identification papers, journals, letters, memoirs and autobiographies (not biographies), speeches, theses (reporting original research)
What kind of source is reports?Primary sources can include: Texts of laws and other original documents. Newspaper reports, by reporters who witnessed an event or who quote people who did. Speeches, diaries, letters and interviews - what the people involved said or wrote.
Is original research data a primary source?Some types of source are nearly always primary: works of art and literature, raw statistical data, official documents and records, and personal communications (e.g. letters, interviews). If you use one of these in your research, it is probably a primary source.
|
