Primary and Secondary Sources for Science
In the Sciences, primary sources are documents that provide full description of the original research. For example, a primary source would be a journal article where scientists describe their research on the human immune system. A secondary source would be an article commenting or analyzing the scientists' research on the human immune system.
Examples of Primary and Secondary Sources
| Primary Source | Secondary Source |
|---|---|
| Conference Papers | Criticism and interpretation |
| Correspondence | Dictionaries |
| Dissertations | Directories |
| Diaries | Encyclopedias |
| Interviews | Government Policy |
| Lab Notebooks |
Law and Legislation |
| Notes | Monographs |
| Patents | Moral and Ethical Aspects |
| Studies or Surveys | Public Opinion |
| Technical Reports | Reviews |
| Theses | Social Policy |
| Tables |
Source: The Evolution of Scientific Information (from Encyclopedia of Library and Information Science, vol. 26).