A primary source in the sciences is usually a report on the results of an experiment by the person or group who performed it. They are usually published as scientific articles. Primary scientific articles contain high-level vocabulary and will usually present original data, often displayed in tables or charts.
A primary source reports the results of one's own research. It is not a comment on someone else’s research, although there may be references to the work of others in the body of the paper to illustrate the points the author is trying to prove or disprove. Most scientific journals that are peer-reviewed are likely to contain primary literature. Peer-review means that a panel of experts will review all articles submitted for publication before they are accepted by the journal. Keep in mind that an article may be peer-reviewed but that does not necessarily mean it is a primary source.
The common parts of a primary source article include:
- Abstract - a summary of the article.
- Methods/Methodology - how the research was conducted.
- Results - what the research shows. (usually containing charts, graphs, equations)
- Discussion or Conclusion - the importance of the results, what does it mean?
- References/Bibliography
