What is a Primary Source?
Primary sources are those sources that are closest to what is being studied. These may be items created at the time, such as research articles or later in the case of oral histories and memoirs.
What is a Primary Source in the natural sciences?
Primary sources in the natural sciences may include conference papers, data archives, laboratory notebooks, research articles, and statistical publications, among others. At the undergraduate level, your experience may focus on primary research articles. Primary research articles in the natural sciences report the results of original research. They include a methods (or methodology) and results section. They may also include a discussion section or notes on future research directions.
For more on primary sources in general, visit one of the web sites below.
