Subject Guide
Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Sources
Terminology
Primary resources --peer reviewed articles written by authors who actually performed an original experiment or are reporting their field observations, i.e., of organisms or medical patients; comprises main body of scientific information and knowledge; found by searching journal article databases for references
- Example 1: Article from the journal Clinical Endocrinology
- Example 2: Article from The International Journal of Eating Disorders
Secondary resources --peer reviewed articles written by authors who summarize or discuss trends in the primary literature; found by searching journal article databases for references
- Example 1: Article from the journal Nutrition Reviews
- Example 2: Article from the journal Sports Medicine
Tertiary resources --non-peer reviewed articles, books, newspaper articles, encyclopedia entries, etc.; found by searching the Internet, the library catalog, and some databases
- Example 1: Website
- Example 2: PDF from the National Institutes of Health
- Example 3: Book (on-campus only search)
NOTE: The resource CQ Researcher is a tertiary resource. CQ Researcher is equivalent to an encyclopedia--you can find reliable background information in the entries, which are written by experienced journalists. However, the articles are not peer-reviewed and they do not report on research, so they are tertiary resources.
Peer review --process by which articles are submitted to experts in the scientific discipline for comments and criticism before publication in a scholarly journal; peer reviewed journals are also called "refereed." Search Ulrichsweb for the journal title and look for the referee shirt icon to see if a journal is peer reviewed.
Scholarly journal --journal that publishes mostly scientific, primary articles; exists to disseminate knowledge (examples: Science, Nature, Cell, Ecology)
Trade journal --journal or magazine that publishes mostly non-peer reviewed articles and frequently contains advertisements; exists to make money (examples: Science News, National Geographic, Time)
Library catalog --a searchable database that includes records representing every item in the library, including books, journals, CDs, DVDs, maps, manuscripts, and microforms
Journal article databases (also called periodical indexes) --electronically searchable sources that provide reference information to articles published in hundreds and thousands of mostly scholarly journals; most databases include an abstract (summary of the article) and some provide links to the full text of the articles; science databases index mostly primary and secondary resources
Periodicals Room --area on the north side of the second floor of the Harold B. Lee Library in which the print copies of most journals and other serial publications are shelved
How to Tell the Difference between Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Sources
|
Primary Literature |
Secondary Literature |
Tertiary Literature |
|---|---|---|
|
Title states results or conclusions; often uses technical terminology |
Title often includes words like "trends," "history," and "insights"; often easier to understand |
Titles vary widely; often use non-technical language |
|
Abstract includes experimental or observational conditions and a summary of the results |
Often in review publications, like the Annual Review of Cell Biology |
In a variety of publications and formats including: newspapers, magazines, websites, and most books |
|
Often has the following sections: Introduction, Literature Review, Methods, Results, Discussion, and a substantial bibliography or reference list |
Extensive reference lists |
No bibliography or only a few references |
|
Peer reviewed |
Peer reviewed |
NOT peer reviewed |
How to Get Help
Science/Maps Reference Desk--HBLL Level 2; science_reference@byu.edu; 422-2987. Come get help from librarians and student assistants (Hours: Mon-Thurs 8 am-9 pm; Fri 8 am-6 pm; Sat 10 am-6 pm)