Biology

Adapted from http://library.albany.edu/infolit/prisci

Scientific and other peer reviewed journals are excellent sources for primary research sources. However, not every article in those journals will be an article with original research. Some will include book reviews, opinion columns, and other materials that are obviously secondary sources. More difficult to differentiate from original research articles are review articles.

Both types of articles will end with a list of References (or Works Cited). Review articles are often as lengthy or even longer that original research articles. What the authors of review articles are doing is analyzing and evaluating current research or investigations related to a specific topic, field, or problem. They are not primary sources since they review previously published material. If it is a review article instead of a research article, the abstract should make that clear. If there is no abstract at all, that in itself may be a sign that it is not a primary resource.

Review articles can be helpful for identifying potentially good primary sources, but they aren't primary themselves.