Primary sources (e.g., research articles)

Primary research is research that is collected firsthand and is original to the person using it.[7] When conducting primary research, the goal is to answer questions not answered in the published literature.[7] Additionally, the research has to be verified by others to help eliminate one's own biases.[8] Primary research can be a survey, observation, or interview. This type of research tends to be more time-consuming and can be costly.[9] If possible, secondary research should be done before primary research, to determine what information is not already available (Secondary research - Wikipedia).

Primary research articles report on a single study and have qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods research designs. When searching primary research articles, look for the following:

<aside> 💡 Primary research can be what you conduct as a researcher and can refer to primary research others have done that you include to support your thesis.

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Secondary sources

<aside> 💡 See also Secondary citations.

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Secondary research is based on already published data and information gathered from other conducted studies.[8] It is a common practice by researchers to conduct secondary research before primary research in order to determine what information is not already available.[9] Secondary sources are a simple place to start when starting a new research project. Secondary sources vary in credibility depending on where the data is coming from and who is sharing research.[10] (Secondary research - Wikipedia)

Secondary research articles are considered review articles. Review articles summarize the literature (i.e., primary and secondary research articles that support a thesis) and are useful when becoming familiar with a topic and when one is searching for key studies or researchers on a topic.

Citing sources according to APA (7th edition)

"In scholarly work, a primary source reports original content; a secondary source refers to content first reported in another source. Cite secondary sources sparingly, for instance, when the original work is out of print, unavailable, or available only in a language that you do not understand" ([[Publication manual of the American Psychological Association]], 2020, p. 285). If you find a secondary source that you want to use in your paper, always attempt to either find the primary source or find the same idea from another (primary) source.

Tertiary sources - to be avoided

Tertiary sources include dictionary, encyclopedias (e.g., Wikipedia), websites (especially .com websites) and the like, and should be avoided altogether.

In summary...

“In scholarly work, a primary source reports original content; a secondary source refers to content first reported in another source” ([[Publication manual of the American Psychological Association]]).