In science, a primary source is usually the result of original research and *most* journal articles are therefore, primary. While not a comprehensive list, in Science, a possible Primary Resource might include:
A 'review' article is secondary. Most monographs (textbooks, regular books, etc.) are secondary.
**these examples found at VT Libraries Research Guide
1. Identify the population being studied.
2. Identify the sample and the sample size. Is the sample representative of the population?
Explain your answer.
3. Describe how the sample was chosen. Is there any potential bias in the sampling method?
Explain your answer.
4. List the descriptive statistics given in the article.
5.What inferences does the article make from the descriptive statistics?
6. Who conducted the studies? Is there any potential researcher bias? Explain your answer.