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Primary research articles discuss original, empirical research study conducted by the authors.
The purpose of this type of article is to provide readers with a detailed overview of how the study was conducted, what types of methods the authors used to measure their results, how the authors interpret the results, and recommendations based on those results as well ideas for further research in the area. A primary research article should include all of the following:
Features like charts, maps, and surveys are common in primary research articles. Look for word clues like sample size, investigation, experiment, control group, and model, which are commonly found in the abstracts of primary research articles. Primary research articles tend to be longer (10 or more pages) because of the amount of information included.
A secondary source can still be published in a peer reviewed journal, but it does not contain any original research. Some examples of secondary sources are: