Simpson Library: Geography: Primary Sources

Identifying Sources

	Primary	Secondary
Importance	Present brand new research Report results, facts, or finding from an experiment or research study Written by the researchers who did the research Typically include a methods & materials section Provide factual information about the research, NOT interpretation	Analyze one or more primary sources Can be written in response to a primary article Do NOT contain original research Not written by the people who did the original research
Uses	Finding recent data Obtaining Information about a very specific topic (for example, the results of a random trial for a new COVID vaccine)	Finding broader information on a topic (for example, a book or article about AIDS research) Analysis or interpretation of current research

Use the criteria above to determine whether a source is primary or secondary. This will help you accurately identify and utilize the appropriate resources for your research.

Types of Primary Sources

Scholarly articles that present brand new research
Conference papers or proceedings
Technical Reports
Datasets
Maps, Satellite Images
Photos, Field Samples
Interviews, Field Observations

Types of Secondary Sources

Secondary sources in the sciences are written with less technical language so that they appeal to a broader audience - not just for those studying or working in a specific field. Secondary sources are also not the original source of information, and they lack the detailed description of experiments/research found in primary sources.

Some examples of secondary sources:

Review articles
Books
Encyclopedias and Dictionaries
Newspaper articles
Handbooks