Katherine Patton 

Biol294 Genetics 

Professor Rineheart-Kim 

9/12/2025 

Writing assignment #2- Primary vs. Secondary Articles 

In writing research papers, and even in writing an original scientific paper, understanding types of sources is incredibly important. Scholarly can be organized by article type, using a system that’s based off the author’s/authors’ proximity to the collecting of data. Among these categories iclude primary sources, and secondary sources.  

In summarization, Primary resources include an original document or object. This includes any immediate, first-hand account, with primary articles being the closest type of resource to the experiment/event. According to Cornell University, in the sciences, Primary articles-also known as Empirical articles- are original scientific reports of findings. The site mentions that these articles often include introduction, methodology, results, discussion, and reference sections. These articles report original scientific observations and are usually conducted by the author(s) themselves. Cornell also notes that they are usually peer reviewed.  

As stated previously, Cornell University states that primary scientific articles are often peer-reviewed- but the site diligently warns readers that there is a large distinction between an article being peer-reviewed, and an article being a review article. The difference between them is not only the contents, but also the type of resource they are. A review article summarizes and interprets data from primary articles and is always a secondary resource. Simply put, secondary articles are summarizations and interpretations of primary sources. More simply stated, they are one step away from primary sources. They are often easier to read, as they are usually broken down to be in a more widely digestible form.  

Understanding the scientific peer review process is near-essential in reviewing and creating scientific articles over the course of an academic career. It is also important to know why peer reviewed articles are often selected over non peer review articles and why making that choice may improve one’s reference quality to be used in academic settings. A Peer-reviewed article is an article that has-as the same entails- been reviewed by one or more peer reviewers. This process often follows a certain pattern, which many sources like Berkely University of California, as well as the Cornell University Library,  summarize: 1. Scientist(s) complete a study and write a draft paper of their findings. They then submit it for publication- often to a scientific journal. 2. The paper is read over and determined whether the subject is suited for the journal. The paper is then sent to a group of editors and peers- specialists working in the field of study that the paper is on.  3. The reviewers provide feedback and their input, as well as their opinions on the paper’s quality. This might include how original a paper is, the importance/relativity of the findings, as well as if readers will enjoy the article. 4. The reviewers will suggest the journal to publish or deny it based on their findings. Even if approved, the article and the reviewer’s suggestions will often go back to the author for revisions and final edits before publishing 5. Only articles that meet quality expectations for both peers and editors are to be published. The editor and journal, however, are to have the final say in publishing.  (Different journals and publishers will have different standards and expectations, this is important to keep in mind when selecting articles). 

“Research Guides: PRIMARY SOURCES: A Research Guide: Primary vs. Secondary.” Primary vs. Secondary – Primary Sources: A Research Guide – Research Guides at University of Massachusetts Boston, University of Massachusetts Boston, 6 Dec. 2024, umb.libguides.com/PrimarySources/secondary#:~:text=Primary%20Sources%20are%20immediate%2C%20first,Raw%20Data. 

“Libguides: Tutorial: Scholarly Literature Types: Primary vs. Secondary Articles.” Primary vs. Secondary Articles – Tutorial: Scholarly Literature Types – LibGuides at Cornell University, Cornell University Library, 16 June 2021, guides.library.cornell.edu/c.php?g=293669&p=2004549. 

“Scrutinizing Science: Peer Review – Understanding Science.” Understanding Science – How Science REALLY Works…, Berkeley University of California, 9 Sept. 2022, undsci.berkeley.edu/understanding-science-101/how-science-works/scrutinizing-science-peer-review/. 

Kelly, Jacalyn, et al. “Peer Review in Scientific Publications: Benefits, Critiques, & A Survival Guide.” EJIFCC, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 24 Oct. 2014, pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4975196/.