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.
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).