Primary articles are articles written by people that have performed the studies themselves, which means there they include original research and some sort of new information/findings. They usually begin with an intro, where the study’s hypothesis and purpose are explained. That should be followed by the detailed steps and tactics that they used to perform the study. Following the methods, they should talk about the results and draw conclusions on what the results mean for that topic/field. There should be a reference section at the very end, since pretty much all primary articles use other sources as well. Primary articles are peer-reviewed to double check for errors and increase the validity of the paper.

Review articles, unlike primary articles, don’t include any original research. They are meant to summarize and evaluate research that has already been done on a specific topic. Review articles should include the main concepts of the topic, supported by some of the research that’s been done on the topic. In the instance that there are opposing theories, or controversies, on the topic, those are typically included as well. They will often talk about future research and where that could lead the field. There will always be a reference section at the end, since the entire purpose of a review article is to summarize existing studies. An important aspect of review articles is that they’re not meant to include every single piece of information on the topic. Peer-review, while not as important as it is in primary articles, can also be done on review articles.

The peer review process can be a long endeavor, taking anywhere from a few months to a few years. Once a researcher writes their paper and submits it to be published, it will be looked at by the editor, who decides if it could possibly be used in their journal. If approved, it goes on to be peer-reviewed. The people reviewing the article are experts in the field, and they take a detailed look at the paper. They must check for errors and ensure the validity of the article. They also look to see if the work is original and if it’s even worth publishing. If they approve the article, then the author will make any needed adjustments/edits. In the end, the editor has the final say in whether the article is published. The peer review process is always being evaluated and improved.