ENG 3312: Writing in Natural Sciences

• A primary source is a record of a person, event, or occurrence created by an eyewitness or a participant's version of an event. Primary sources allow researchers to gain better insight into historical figures and events.
   
• Primary sources emphasize the lack of intermediaries between the things or events being studied and reports of those things or events based on the belief that firsthand accounts are more accurate.
   
• Examples of primary sources include diaries, letters, notes from lab experiments, photographs, blogs, e-mails, maps, scrapbooks, Facebook pages, poetry, artwork, birthday cards, office records, and artifacts.

Primary sources in natural sciences typically refers to peer-reviewed articles. However, any text containing original scientific data can be referred to as a primary source and can include research studies, dissertations, physical specimens/samples, and interviews.

In contrast, secondary sources offer analysis, commentary, background information, and guidance on topics within the natural science, often directing researchers to relevant primary sources.

The table below provides examples of each category.

Video Description
When conducting research in the sciences, you will encounter three common types of sources: primary sources, secondary sources, and review articles.