Primary literature is most commonly found in journals. Scientists report directly on their research, often including method, data, conclusion, etc. Patent disclosures may also contain primary research.
Secondary literature includes textbooks, articles reviewing research, compilations of data, books, summaries, etc. These types of articles often summarize primary research. Secondary articles are not written by the (original) researcher.
Sources for Secondary Articles
Here are some suggestions for sites that will have secondary sources.
Follow these Steps
Find a secondary article from a magazine, newspaper, or the internet. Make sure you know where the article came from so you can cite the source in your paper.
Websites for most of the major news organizations- ABC,CBS,FOX,CNN- have science or health sections where you can find secondary articles. You can also look at Science News, New York Times Health.
Look for these clues in your secondary article to help you move on to Step 2-
- Names of researchers
- Names of colleges or institutions which sponsored the research
- Names of Journals where the research is published
- Keywords from the research
If you have a secondary article, select a database and use key words from your secondary article to find the primary source. Many primary articles can be found in ProQuest Central or Academic Search Premier. If you don't find your primary source there, try using a more specific database from the list below-
Write a 1-2 page paper, typed and double-spaced, explaining the differences or similarities of the two articles.
Compare content, style, bias and audience differences of both articles.
Cite both articles in APA format.
APA 7th edition
Note: All BCC instructors are not using the 7th edition yet. Check with your instructors to verify which APA edition (6th or 7th) is used in your class.
- APA Formatting and Style Guide (7th ed.)Purdue University Online Writing Lab
- APA Style TutorialsAmerican Psychological Association (APA) Style Tutorials and Webinars
- EasyBib Guide to APA Format PapersA comprehensive guide to formatting your papers using APA style format.
- Excelsior College Online Writing Lab APA 7th ed.Excelsior College Online Writing Lab provides online guides to writing in APA 7th ed. format.
- Sidney Silverman Library APA Citation Examples (7th edition)Provides a quick guide with examples to some of the most commonly cited sources.
- Template for Typing APA Formatted Student Papers (MS-Word)Use this template to format your APA Style student paper.
- APA 7th ed. Student Paper Template - Google DocsUse this template to format your paper in Google Docs. NOTE: This template is "View Only" - not editable. To edit it, save a copy to your Google Drive. Includes tips on how to format a paper in APA.
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