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Biological & Physical Sciences: Types of Sources

This guide is an introduction to Library resources related to the Physical and Biological Sciences

What kind of information am I looking at?

At times, you might be asked by your instructor to find and use specific kinds of articles. Use this page to learn about different sources to help you decide when you should be using different types of sources in your research.

Primary Source Examples

  • The AUTHOR did the research study or scientific experiment
  • Includes the methods, results, discussion sections
  • Papers and proceedings from scientific conferences or meetings
  • Dissertations and Theses
  • Technical Reports
  • Patents

Secondary Source Examples

Secondary sources in the SCIENCES will have these words: meta-analysis, systematic review, or literature review.

  • The AUTHOR did not do the study/experiment her/himself.
  • Remarks about the significance of research or experiments
  • Reviews the results of several experiments or trials
  • Analysis of a clinical trial
  • Letters to the editor, editorials, perspectives, etc.

Understanding Primary or Secondary Sources in Articles

From University of Wisconsin Library (2013)

What is a Peer Reviewed Article?

Types of Journals

Scholarly journals (aka academic journals) publish articles by scholars and experts in their field and are intended for the academic community.  Many scholarly journals are also peer-reviewed (aka refereed), which means they have an editorial board with additional experts in the field who review all articles submitted for publication to ensure that they meet academic standards.

Popular journals are intended for the general public, and their journalists may have some knowledge of a field, but are usually not academic experts. Popular journals can be appropriate for some academic papers, but not all, so be sure to check with your professor.

How can you distinguish a scholarly journal from a popular journal?  Refer to the following chart, which highlights the differences between the two:

 

 

Popular

Scholarly

Audience

General Public

Scholars/Experts/Students

Authors

Reporters/Journalists

Scholars/Experts

Peer-Reviewed

No

Yes

Color Pictures

Many

Few

Advertisements

Many

Few

Article Length

1-5 pages

10+ pages

Article Titles

Short & Catchy

Long & Descriptive

Cites Sources

No

Yes

Evaluating Scientific Claims

Questions to ask yourself when evaluating scientific claims:

1. What is the claim?

      Usually found in the title, headline or first paragraph of the article.

2. What evidence is presented?

      List ALL of the evidence to support the claim.

3. Is each piece of evidence supported by measurable observation?

4. What is the source of the information for each piece of evidence?

      Is the source a scientist, a specialist in the field, and/or a scientific organization?

5. Is the source unbiased?

      Will the author benefit from making the claim?

      Was the research paid for by an organization that stands to benefit from the claim?

      Did the author pay to have the research done?

      Is there any indication that the evidence was chosen selectively?

6. The evidence may be considered acceptable if it is observational, from a reputable source and bias-free.

7. Does the acceptable evidence actually support the claim?

 

Ford, B. (1998). Critically evaluating scientific claims in the popular press. The American Biology Teacher, 60(3), 174-180. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/4450446

Evaluating Scientific Research Worksheet