FYS 100 Tindall: Primary Sources

Primary Sources in Science

• a report on the results of an experiment by the person or group who performed it
• published as scientific articles
• contain high-level vocabulary
•  present original data often displayed in tables or charts

In a primary research article, you will typically see many or all of the following elements clearly presented:

• An abstract/summary of the research about to be presented
• Author’s affiliation
• Introduction with thesis statement
• A review of other literature pertaining to the experiment
• Methods used to conduct the experiment
• Materials and equipment used in the experiment
• Results of the experiment (data) - may include tables, charts, graphs, figures, photographs
• Discussion of the results
• Conclusion
• References/Bibliography

The presence of these components indicate that the author is presenting new data and ideas.