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Nursing Research Guide

What is a primary source?

A primary source in the health sciences is a document or record that reports on a single study, experiment, trial or research project. Primary sources are usually written by the person(s) who did the research, conducted the study, or ran the experiment, and include hypothesis/research question (Introduction), Methodology, Results and conclusion or Discussion.

Primary Sources include:

  • Pilot/prospective studies
  • Cohort studies
  • Case studies
  • Clinical trials and randomized clinical trials/RCTs
  • Descriptive/Qualitative Studies

What is a secondary source?

Secondary sources compile, summarize, compare, and evaluate primary information and studies so as to draw conclusions on or present current state of knowledge in a discipline or subject. Secondary sources should include a bibliography which directs you back to the primary research reported in the article.

Secondary Sources include:

  • review articles like systematic reviews and meta-analysis
  • practice guidelines & standards
  • clinical care plans
  • patient education information
  • monographs

What is a tertiary source?

Tertiary sources consist of a distillation and collection of primary and secondary sources. Tertiary sources provide an overview of key research findings and an introduction to the principles and practices within a discipline. 

Tertiary sources include:

  • Textbooks
  • Medical and Health Science Reference Books