how to know if an article is primary research

Identifying Primary and Secondary Research Articles

• Primary and Secondary

Primary Research Articles

Primary research articles report on a single study. In the health sciences, primary research articles generally describe the following aspects of the study:

• The study's hypothesis or research question
• Some articles will include information on how participants were recruited or identified, as well as additional information about participants' sex, age, or race/ethnicity
• A "methods" or "methodology" section that describes how the study was performed and what the researchers did
• Results and conclusion section

Secondary Research Articles

Review articles are the most common type of secondary research article in the health sciences. A review article is a summary of previously published research on a topic. Authors who are writing a review article will search databases for previously completed research and summarize or synthesize those articles,  as opposed to recruiting participants and performing a new research study.

Specific types of review articles include:

• Systematic Reviews
• Meta-Analysis
• Narrative Reviews
• Integrative Reviews
• Literature Reviews

Review articles often report on the following:

• The hypothesis, research question, or review topic
• Databases searched-- authors should clearly describe where and how they searched for the research included in their reviews
• Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis should provide detailed information on the databases searched and the search strategy the authors used.Selection criteria-- the researchers should describe how they decided which articles to include
• A critical appraisal or evaluation of the quality of the articles included (most frequently included in systematic reviews and meta-analysis)
• Discussion, results, and conclusions

Determining Primary versus Secondary Using the Database Abstract

Information found in PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, and other databases can help you determine whether the article you're looking at is primary or secondary.

Primary research article abstract

• Note that in the "Objectives" field, the authors describe their single, individual study.
• In the materials and methods section, they describe the number of patients included in the study and how those patients were divided into groups.
• These are all clues that help us determine this abstract is describing is a single, primary research article, as opposed to a literature review.
• Primary Article Abstract

Secondary research/review article abstract

• Note that the words "systematic review" and "meta-analysis" appear in the title of the article
• The objectives field also includes the term "meta-analysis" (a common type of literature review in the health sciences)
• The "Data Source" section includes a list of databases searched
• The "Study Selection" section describes the selection criteria
• These are all clues that help us determine that this abstract is describing a review article, as opposed to a single, primary research article.
• Secondary Research Article

• Primary vs. Secondary Worksheet

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Can you determine if the following articles are primary or secondary?

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Life, Society & Drugs: Appropriate Sources

• What sources are appropriate?
• Scholarly sources and peer review
• Tips for reading scientific papers
• How do I identify a primary research article?
• How do I find an internationally focused article?
• Recommended resources
• How can I cite my sources properly?
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• Wrapping up

Understanding Primary Research in the Sciences

• How do I identify a primary research article? This link will take you to the YouTube page where the video is stored. Captions and transcripts are included.

Primary sources in the sciences are typically academic journals. In them, the authors present their "primary" or original research. You may have heard of primary sources before in a history class, and the same idea applies here. A primary source is all about proximity. The authors should have firsthand experience with the content. In the sciences, that means that they conducted the research themselves.

Identifying Primary Research Articles

Here are five common components of primary research articles in the sciences. Check your source for these to help determine if you are looking at a primary source.

1. Written by experts who did the research

In a primary source, the authors report on research they conducted themselves. The best way to determine this is to read the introduction of the paper where the authors will explain what they are presenting. If the authors report only about someone else’s research or a different study, it is not primary. 

2. Reports on original research

This is closely tied to the first component. Did the authors of the article study something "new?" Did they delve into an issue to explore it further? Look for keywords in the abstract and introduction that tell you that the authors studied something. Keywords to look for include: "measured," "analyzed," and "investigated."

3. Describes how the authors did their study

A primary research article will describe the methods used to conduct the study. It ought to be detailed enough that the study could be replicated. Many primary research articles follow a common format with particular section headings. One of these is "methodology" or "methods." The methodology section is where the authors will explain how they did their study. Looking for this section heading is a good way to check for this factor. Even if this specific heading is missing, your article should still explain this to be primary.

4. Describes the study's results

The article should also clearly explain the results or outcomes of the research. Often you will see statistics, graphs, and/or tables in the article. These depictions of data in primary research articles will differ from the "decorative" images you may see in popular sources. Headings to look at for this factor include "results," "findings," and "discussion."

5. Always includes references

Finally, your primary research article will always include references. These could look like footnotes, a references section, or a works cited at the end of the article. Many articles that are not primary research articles - and even some that are not scholarly - include references. Do not make your decision of whether your article is primary or not based on this factor alone.

Primary Source Examples

• Burgo, Jose Luis, et al. “Cost of Provision of Opioid Substitution Therapy Provision in Tijuana, Mexico.”   Harm Reduction Journal , vol. 15, no. 1, May 2018, pp. 1–8.  ProQuest Central , https://doi.org/10.1186/s12954-018-0234-x.
• Sharma, Shridhar, et al. “Substance Use and Criminality among Juveniles-under-Enquiry in New Delhi.”   Indian Journal of Psychiatry , vol. 58, no. 2, Apr. 2016, pp. 178–182.  CINAHL Complete , https://doi.org/10.4103/0019-5545.183791.

Secondary Source Examples

• Palinkas, Lawrence A. “Opioid Use Epidemic in Mexico: Global Solutions to a Global Problem.”   American Journal of Public Health,  vol. 109, no. 1, Jan. 2019. pp. 26–27.  CINAHL Complete, https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2018.304833
• Szalavitz, Maia, and Khary K. Rigg. “ The Curious (Dis)Connection between the Opioid Epidemic and Crime.”   Substance Use & Misuse , vol. 52, no. 14, Dec. 2017, pp. 1927–1931.  APA PsycInfo , https://doi.org/10.1080/10826084.2017.1376685.

How can I learn more about identifying primary sources?

To learn more about primary research articles in the sciences, watch the University of Wisconsin-Madison Libraries' short video (1 min, 37 sec) on the topic.

• Primary Research Articles in the Sciences This link will take you to the YouTube page where the video is stored. There are closed captions and transcripts included.
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Primary research or a primary study refers to a research article that is an author’s original research that is almost always published in a peer-reviewed journal. A primary study reports on the details, methods and results of a research study. These articles often have a standard structure of a format called IMRAD, referring to sections of an article: Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion. Primary research studies will start with a review of the previous literature, however, the rest of the article will focus on the authors’ original research. Literature reviews can be published in peer-reviewed journals, however, they are not primary research.

Primary studies are part of primary sources but should not be mistaken for primary documents. Primary documents are usually original sources such as a letter, a diary, a speech or an autobiography. They are a first person view of an event or a period. Typically, if you are a Humanities major, you will be asked to find primary documents for your paper however, if you are in Social Sciences or the Sciences you are most likely going to be asked to find primary research studies. If you are unsure, ask your professor or a librarian for help.

A primary research or study is an empirical research that is published in peer-reviewed journals. Some ways of recognizing whether an article is a primary research article when searching a database:

1. The abstract includes a research question or a hypothesis,  methods and results.

2. Studies can have tables and charts representing data findings.

3. The article includes a section for "methods” or “methodology” and "results".

4. Discussion section indicates findings and discusses limitations of the research study, and suggests further research.

5. Check the reference section because it will refer you to the studies and works that were consulted. You can use this section to find other studies on that particular topic.

The following are not to be confused with primary research articles:

- Literature reviews

- Meta-analyses or systematic reviews (these studies make conclusions based on research on many other studies)

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What is Primary Research and How do I get Started?

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Primary research is any type of research that you collect yourself. Examples include surveys, interviews, observations, and ethnographic research. A good researcher knows how to use both primary and secondary sources in their writing and to integrate them in a cohesive fashion.

Conducting primary research is a useful skill to acquire as it can greatly supplement your research in secondary sources, such as journals, magazines, or books. You can also use it as the focus of your writing project. Primary research is an excellent skill to learn as it can be useful in a variety of settings including business, personal, and academic.

But I’m not an expert!

With some careful planning, primary research can be done by anyone, even students new to writing at the university level. The information provided on this page will help you get started.

What types of projects or activities benefit from primary research?

When you are working on a local problem that may not have been addressed before and little research is there to back it up.

When you are working on writing about a specific group of people or a specific person.

When you are working on a topic that is relatively new or original and few publications exist on the subject.

You can also use primary research to confirm or dispute national results with local trends.

What types of primary research can be done?

Many types of primary research exist. This guide is designed to provide you with an overview of primary research that is often done in writing classes.

Interviews: Interviews are one-on-one or small group question and answer sessions. Interviews will provide a lot of information from a small number of people and are useful when you want to get an expert or knowledgeable opinion on a subject.

Surveys: Surveys are a form of questioning that is more rigid than interviews and that involve larger groups of people. Surveys will provide a limited amount of information from a large group of people and are useful when you want to learn what a larger population thinks.

Observations: Observations involve taking organized notes about occurrences in the world. Observations provide you insight about specific people, events, or locales and are useful when you want to learn more about an event without the biased viewpoint of an interview.

Analysis: Analysis involves collecting data and organizing it in some fashion based on criteria you develop. They are useful when you want to find some trend or pattern. A type of analysis would be to record commercials on three major television networks and analyze gender roles.

Where do I start?

Consider the following questions when beginning to think about conducting primary research:

• What do I want to discover?
• How do I plan on discovering it? (This is called your research methods or methodology)
• Who am I going to talk to/observe/survey? (These people are called your subjects or participants)
• How am I going to be able to gain access to these groups or individuals?
• What are my biases about this topic?
• How can I make sure my biases are not reflected in my research methods?
• What do I expect to discover?

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Q. How do I know if an article is a primary or secondary research article?

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Answered By: Jay Trask Last Updated: Oct 21, 2020     Views: 240429

A primary research article reports on an empirical research study conducted by the authors. It is almost always published in a peer-reviewed journal. This type of article:

• Asks a research question or states a hypothesis or hypotheses
• Identifies a research population
• Describes a specific research method
• Tests or measures something
• Includes a section called "method" or "methodology." This may only appear in the article, not the abstract.
• Includes a section called "results."

Words to look for as clues include: analysis, study, investigation, examination, experiment, numbers of people or objects analyzed, content analysis, or surveys.

To contrast, the following are not primary research articles (i.e., they are secondary sources):

• Literature reviews
• Meta-Analyses/Review articles (These are studies that arrive at conclusions based on research from many other studies.)
• Chapters in books
• Encyclopedia articles
• Speeches and interviews

Please note: if you are seeking information about primary and secondary sources for historical research, please find information here: https://libguides.unco.edu/history-primary-resources

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• Primary vs. Secondary Sources | Difference & Examples

Primary vs. Secondary Sources | Difference & Examples

Published on June 20, 2018 by Raimo Streefkerk . Revised on May 31, 2023.

When you do research, you have to gather information and evidence from a variety of sources.

Primary sources provide raw information and first-hand evidence. Examples include interview transcripts, statistical data, and works of art. Primary research gives you direct access to the subject of your research.

Secondary sources provide second-hand information and commentary from other researchers. Examples include journal articles, reviews, and academic books . Thus, secondary research describes, interprets, or synthesizes primary sources.

Primary sources are more credible as evidence, but good research uses both primary and secondary sources.

Table of contents

What is a primary source, what is a secondary source, primary and secondary source examples, how to tell if a source is primary or secondary, primary vs secondary sources: which is better, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about primary and secondary sources.

A primary source is anything that gives you direct evidence about the people, events, or phenomena that you are researching. Primary sources will usually be the main objects of your analysis.

If you are researching the past, you cannot directly access it yourself, so you need primary sources that were produced at the time by participants or witnesses (e.g. letters, photographs, newspapers ).

If you are researching something current, your primary sources can either be qualitative or quantitative data that you collect yourself (e.g. through interviews , surveys , experiments ) or sources produced by people directly involved in the topic (e.g. official documents or media texts).

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A secondary source is anything that describes, interprets, evaluates, or analyzes information from primary sources. Common examples include:

• Books , articles and documentaries that synthesize information on a topic
• Synopses and descriptions of artistic works
• Encyclopedias and textbooks that summarize information and ideas
• Reviews and essays that evaluate or interpret something

When you cite a secondary source, it’s usually not to analyze it directly. Instead, you’ll probably test its arguments against new evidence or use its ideas to help formulate your own.

Examples of sources that can be primary or secondary

A secondary source can become a primary source depending on your research question . If the person, context, or technique that produced the source is the main focus of your research, it becomes a primary source.

Documentaries

If you are researching the causes of World War II, a recent documentary about the war is a secondary source . But if you are researching the filmmaking techniques used in historical documentaries, the documentary is a primary source .

Reviews and essays

If your paper is about the novels of Toni Morrison, a magazine review of one of her novels is a secondary source . But if your paper is about the critical reception of Toni Morrison’s work, the review is a primary source .

Newspaper articles

If your aim is to analyze the government’s economic policy, a newspaper article about a new policy is a secondary source . But if your aim is to analyze media coverage of economic issues, the newspaper article is a primary source .

To determine if something can be used as a primary or secondary source in your research, there are some simple questions you can ask yourself:

• Does this source come from someone directly involved in the events I’m studying (primary) or from another researcher (secondary)?
• Am I interested in evaluating the source itself (primary) or only using it for background information (secondary)?
• Does the source provide original information (primary) or does it comment upon information from other sources (secondary)?

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Most research uses both primary and secondary sources. They complement each other to help you build a convincing argument. Primary sources are more credible as evidence, but secondary sources show how your work relates to existing research. Tertiary sources are often used in the first, exploratory stage of research.

What do you use primary sources for?

Primary sources are the foundation of original research. They allow you to:

• Make new discoveries
• Provide credible evidence for your arguments
• Give authoritative information about your topic

If you don’t use any primary sources, your research may be considered unoriginal or unreliable.

What do you use secondary sources for?

Secondary sources are good for gaining a full overview of your topic and understanding how other researchers have approached it. They often synthesize a large number of primary sources that would be difficult and time-consuming to gather by yourself. They allow you to:

• Gain background information on the topic
• Support or contrast your arguments with other researchers’ ideas
• Gather information from primary sources that you can’t access directly (e.g. private letters or physical documents located elsewhere)

When you conduct a literature review or meta analysis, you can consult secondary sources to gain a thorough overview of your topic. If you want to mention a paper or study that you find cited in a secondary source, seek out the original source and cite it directly.

Remember that all primary and secondary sources must be cited to avoid plagiarism . You can use Scribbr’s free citation generator to do so!

If you want to know more about ChatGPT, AI tools , citation , and plagiarism , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

• ChatGPT vs human editor
• ChatGPT citations
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 Plagiarism

• Types of plagiarism
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• Common knowledge

Common examples of primary sources include interview transcripts , photographs, novels, paintings, films, historical documents, and official statistics.

Anything you directly analyze or use as first-hand evidence can be a primary source, including qualitative or quantitative data that you collected yourself.

Common examples of secondary sources include academic books, journal articles , reviews, essays , and textbooks.

Anything that summarizes, evaluates or interprets primary sources can be a secondary source. If a source gives you an overview of background information or presents another researcher’s ideas on your topic, it is probably a secondary source.

To determine if a source is primary or secondary, ask yourself:

• Was the source created by someone directly involved in the events you’re studying (primary), or by another researcher (secondary)?
• Does the source provide original information (primary), or does it summarize information from other sources (secondary)?
• Are you directly analyzing the source itself (primary), or only using it for background information (secondary)?

Some types of source are nearly always primary: works of art and literature, raw statistical data, official documents and records, and personal communications (e.g. letters, interviews ). If you use one of these in your research, it is probably a primary source.

Primary sources are often considered the most credible in terms of providing evidence for your argument, as they give you direct evidence of what you are researching. However, it’s up to you to ensure the information they provide is reliable and accurate.

Always make sure to properly cite your sources to avoid plagiarism .

A fictional movie is usually a primary source. A documentary can be either primary or secondary depending on the context.

If you are directly analyzing some aspect of the movie itself – for example, the cinematography, narrative techniques, or social context – the movie is a primary source.

If you use the movie for background information or analysis about your topic – for example, to learn about a historical event or a scientific discovery – the movie is a secondary source.

Whether it’s primary or secondary, always properly cite the movie in the citation style you are using. Learn how to create an MLA movie citation or an APA movie citation .

Articles in newspapers and magazines can be primary or secondary depending on the focus of your research.

In historical studies, old articles are used as primary sources that give direct evidence about the time period. In social and communication studies, articles are used as primary sources to analyze language and social relations (for example, by conducting content analysis or discourse analysis ).

If you are not analyzing the article itself, but only using it for background information or facts about your topic, then the article is a secondary source.

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

Streefkerk, R. (2023, May 31). Primary vs. Secondary Sources | Difference & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved August 12, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/working-with-sources/primary-and-secondary-sources/

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Distinguishing Scholarly Articles

• What Is a Scholarly Article?
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• Types of Scholarly Articles

Source Provenance

• Glossary of Specialized Terms

For preliminary assessment of reliability or authenticity, academics frequently distinguish between Primary and Secondary sources of information.  Note that this distinction is based on content, and not format.

Primary sources are those that adhere most closely to the original experience or evidence being presented.

In history and the humanities, a primary source is a person, document or account relating direct experience from the time period under study (for example an eyewitness report to an event) or a later recapitulation of events from someone with direct experience (for example an oral history, autobiography or memoir).  Historical artifacts such as letters, diaries, interviews, or photographs are all considered primary sources, as are government documents presenting original work, e.g. legislation, hearings, speeches, reports, etc.  Creative works such as films, plays, music, poetry and art works can also be considered primary.

In the sciences, a primary source is the original publication of new data, research or theories by the individual(s) producing the data, conducting the research, or formulating the theory.  Examples of primary scientific sources include experimental studies, opinion surveys, clinical trials, and data sets.  Typically, primary research articles are published in peer-reviewed journal articles with standardized sections, often including a Literature Review , description of Methods , tables of Data , and a summary of Results or formal Conclusion .

Secondary sources are those that summarize, critique or comment on events, data or research presented previously.  Since they are one or more steps removed from the event, these sources are considered less reliable in terms of evidence.

Examples of secondary sources include textbooks, review articles, magazine articles, histories, news reports, encyclopedias and other reference books.  There can be significant variation in how strictly the terms "primary" and "secondary" are applied by academics, e.g. history professors may consider news articles that were published in the same time period as an historical event to be primary, for purposes of instruction.  If in doubt, a student should consult the classroom instructor for guidance.

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Finding Scholarly Articles: Home

What's a Scholarly Article?

Your professor has specified that you are to use scholarly (or primary research or peer-reviewed or refereed or academic) articles only in your paper. What does that mean?

Scholarly or primary research articles are peer-reviewed , which means that they have gone through the process of being read by reviewers or referees  before being accepted for publication. When a scholar submits an article to a scholarly journal, the manuscript is sent to experts in that field to read and decide if the research is valid and the article should be published. Typically the reviewers indicate to the journal editors whether they think the article should be accepted, sent back for revisions, or rejected.

To decide whether an article is a primary research article, look for the following:

• The author’s (or authors') credentials and academic affiliation(s) should be given;
• There should be an abstract summarizing the research;
• The methods and materials used should be given, often in a separate section;
• There are citations within the text or footnotes referencing sources used;
• Results of the research are given;
• There should be discussion   and  conclusion ;
• With a bibliography or list of references at the end.

Caution: even though a journal may be peer-reviewed, not all the items in it will be. For instance, there might be editorials, book reviews, news reports, etc. Check for the parts of the article to be sure.   

You can limit your search results to primary research, peer-reviewed or refereed articles in many databases. To search for scholarly articles in  HOLLIS , type your keywords in the box at the top, and select  Catalog&Articles  from the choices that appear next.   On the search results screen, look for the  Show Only section on the right and click on  Peer-reviewed articles . (Make sure to  login in with your HarvardKey to get full-text of the articles that Harvard has purchased.)

Many of the databases that Harvard offers have similar features to limit to peer-reviewed or scholarly articles.  For example in Academic Search Premier , click on the box for Scholarly (Peer Reviewed) Journals  on the search screen.

Review articles are another great way to find scholarly primary research articles.   Review articles are not considered "primary research", but they pull together primary research articles on a topic, summarize and analyze them.  In Google Scholar , click on Review Articles  at the left of the search results screen. Ask your professor whether review articles can be cited for an assignment.

A note about Google searching.  A regular Google search turns up a broad variety of results, which can include scholarly articles but Google results also contain commercial and popular sources which may be misleading, outdated, etc.  Use Google Scholar  through the Harvard Library instead.

About Wikipedia .  W ikipedia is not considered scholarly, and should not be cited, but it frequently includes references to scholarly articles. Before using those references for an assignment, double check by finding them in Hollis or a more specific subject  database .

Still not sure about a source? Consult the course syllabus for guidance, contact your professor or teaching fellow, or use the Ask A Librarian service.

• Last Updated: Oct 3, 2023 3:37 PM
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Primary Research Articles

• Library vs. Google
• Background Reading
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• Evaluating Sources
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• Need more help?

How Can I Find Primary Research Articles?

Many of the recommended databases in this subject guide contain primary research articles (also known as empirical articles or research studies). Search in databases like ScienceDirect  and MEDLINE .

Primary Research Articles: How Will I Know One When I See One?

Primary research articles  to conduct and publish an experiment or research study, an author or team of authors designs an experiment, gathers data, then analyzes the data and discusses the results of the experiment. a published experiment or research study will therefore  look  very different from other types of articles (newspaper stories, magazine articles, essays, etc.) found in our library databases. the following guidelines will help you recognize a primary research article, written by the researchers themselves and published in a scholarly journal., structure of a primary research article typically, a primary research article has the following sections:.

• The author summarizes her article
• The author discusses the general background of her research topic; often, she will present a literature review, that is, summarize what other experts have written on this particular research topic
• The author describes the study she designed and conducted
• The author presents the data she gathered during her experiment
• The author offers ideas about the importance and implications of her research findings, and speculates on future directions that similar research might take
• The author gives a References list of sources she used in her paper

The structure of the article will often be clearly shown with headings: Introduction, Method, Results, Discussion.

A primary research article will almost always contains statistics, numerical data presented in tables. Also, primary research articles are written in very formal, very technical language.

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Animal Science

How to identify peer reviewed journals, how to identify primary research articles.

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• Peer Reviewed Journals Quiz How do I know if a journal is peer reviewed? What is peer review, anyway? Take this short quiz to test your knowledge and perhaps learn something new!
• Primary Research Articles Quiz How do I know if an article is a primary or secondary research article? Are there search techniques that will help me find them? Take this short quiz to test your knowledge and perhaps learn something new!

You must get all answers correct to submit the quiz!

Peer review is defined as “a process of subjecting an author’s scholarly work, research or ideas to the scrutiny of others who are experts in the same field” ( 1 ). Peer review is intended to serve two purposes:

• It acts as a filter to ensure that only high quality research is published, especially in reputable journals, by determining the validity, significance and originality of the study.
• Peer review is intended to improve the quality of manuscripts that are deemed suitable for publication. Peer reviewers provide suggestions to authors on how to improve the quality of their manuscripts, and also identify any errors that need correcting before publication.

How do you determine whether an article qualifies as being a peer-reviewed journal article?

• If you're searching for articles in certain databases, you can limit your search to peer-reviewed sources simply by selecting a tab or checking a box on the search screen.
• If you have an article, an indication that it has been through the peer review process will be the publication history , usually at the beginning or end of the article.
• If you're looking at the journal itself, go to the  editorial statement or instructions to authors  (usually in the first few pages of the journal or at the end) for references to the peer-review process.
• Lookup the journal by title or ISSN in the ProQuest Source Evaluation Aid . 
• Careful! Not all information in a peer-reviewed journal is actually reviewed. Editorials, letters to the editor, book reviews, and other types of information don't count as articles, and may not be accepted by your professor.

What about preprint sites and ResearchGate?

• A preprint is a piece of research that has not yet been peer reviewed and published in a journal. In most cases, they can be considered final drafts or working papers. Preprint sites are great sources of current research - and most preprint sites will provide a link to a later, peer-reviewed version of an article. 
• ResearchGate is a commercial social networking site for scientists and researchers to share papers, ask and answer questions, and find collaborators. Members can upload research output including papers, chapters, negative results, patents, research proposals, methods, presentations, etc. Researchers can access these materials, and also contact members to ask for access to material that has not been shared, usually because of copyright restrictions. There is a filter to limit results to articles, but it can be difficult to determine the publication history of ResearchGate items and whether they have been published in peer reviewed sources.

A primary research article reports on an empirical research study conducted by the authors. The goal of a primary research article is to present the result of original research that makes a new contribution to the body of knowledge. 

Characteristics:

• Almost always published in a peer-reviewed journal
• Asks a research question or states a hypothesis or hypotheses
• Identifies a research population
• Describes a specific research method
• Tests or measures something
• Often (but not always) structured in a standard format called IMRAD: Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion
• Words to look for as clues include: analysis, study, investigation, examination, experiment, numbers of people or objects analyzed, content analysis, or surveys.

To contrast, the following are not primary research articles (i.e., they are secondary sources):

• Literature reviews/Review articles
• Meta-Analyses (studies that arrive at conclusions based on research from many other studies)
• Editorials & Letters
• Dissertations

Articles that are NOT primary research articles may discuss the same research, but they are not reporting on original research, they are summarizing and commenting on research conducted and published by someone else. For example, a literature review provides commentary and analysis of research done by other people, but it does not report the results of the author's own study and is not primary research.

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What is a primary source?

Primary sources provide the raw data you use to support your arguments. Some common types of primary resources include manuscripts, diaries, court cases, maps, data sets, experiment results, news stories, polls, or original research.  In many cases what makes a primary resource is contextual.  For example, a biography about Abraham Lincoln is a secondary resource about Lincoln. However, if examined as a piece of evidence about the nature of biographical writing, or as an example of the biographer's writing method it becomes a primary resource.

Primary Source Databases

What is a secondary source?

Secondary sources analyze primary sources, using primary source materials to answer research questions.  Secondary sources may analyze, criticize, interpret or summarize data from primary sources. The most common secondary resources are books, journal articles, or reviews of the literature. Secondary sources may also be primary sources. For example if someone studies the nature of literary criticism in the 19th century then a literary critique from the 19th century becomes a primary resource.

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Tutorial: Evaluating Information: Primary vs. Secondary Articles

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Primary vs. Secondary Research Articles

In the sciences,  primary (or empirical) research articles :

• are original scientific reports of new research findings (Please note that an original scientific article does not include review articles, which summarize the research literature on a particular subject, or articles using meta-analyses, which analyze pre-published data.)
• usually include the following sections: Introduction , Methods , Results , Discussion, References
• are usually  peer-reviewed (examined by expert(s) in the field before publication). Please note that a peer-reviewed article is not the same as a review article, which summarizes the research literature on a particular subject

You may also choose to use some secondary sources (summaries or interpretations of original research) such as books (find these through the library catalog) or review articles (articles which organize and critically analyze the research of others on a topic). These secondary sources, particularly review articles, are often useful and easier-to-read summaries of research in an area. Additionally, you can use the listed references to find useful primary research articles.

Anatomy of a Scholarly Article

from NCSU Libraries' Anatomy of a Scholarly Article

Types of health studies

In the sciences, particularly the health sciences, there are a number of types of primary articles (the gold standard being randomized controlled trials ) and secondary articles (the gold standard being systematic reviews and meta-analysis ). The chart below summarizes their differences and the linked article gives more information.

Searching for Primary vs. Secondary Articles

Some scholarly databases will allow you to specific what kind of scholarly literature you're looking for.  However, be careful! Sometimes, depending on the database, the Review article type may mean book review instead of or as well as review article. You may also have to look under more or custom options to find these choices.

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Peer-Reviewed Literature: Peer-Reviewed Research: Primary vs. Secondary

• Peer-Reviewed Research: Primary vs. Secondary
• Types of Peer Review
• Identifying Peer-Reviewed Research

Peer Reviewed Research

Published literature can be either peer-reviewed or non-peer-reviewed. Official research reports are almost always peer reviewed while a journal's other content is usually not. In the health sciences, official research can be primary, secondary, or even tertiary. It can be an original experiment or investigation (primary), an analysis or evaluation of primary research (secondary), or findings that compile secondary research (tertiary). If you are doing research yourself, then primary or secondary sources can reveal more in-depth information.

Primary Research

Primary research is information presented in its original form without interpretation by other researchers. While it may acknowledge previous studies or sources, it always presents original thinking, reports on discoveries, or new information about a topic.

Health sciences research that is primary includes both experimental trials and observational studies where subjects may be tested for outcomes or investigated to gain relevant insight.  Randomized Controlled Trials are the most prominent experimental design because randomized subjects offer the most compelling evidence for the effectiveness of an intervention. See the below graphic and below powerpoint for further information on primary research studies.

• Research Design

Secondary Research

Secondary research is an account of original events or facts. It is secondary to and retrospective of the actual findings from an experiment or trial. These studies may be appraised summaries, reviews, or interpretations of primary sources and often exclude the original researcher(s). In the health sciences, meta-analysis and systematic reviews are the most frequent types of secondary research. 

• A meta-analysis is a quantitative method of combining the results of primary research. In analyzing the relevant data and statistical findings from experimental trials or observational studies, it can more accurately calculate effective resolutions regarding certain health topics.
• A systematic review is a summary of research that addresses a focused clinical question in a systematic, reproducible manner. In order to provide the single best estimate of effect in clinical decision making, primary research studies are pooled together and then filtered through an inclusion/exclusion process. The relevant data and findings are then compiled and synthesized to arrive at a more accurate conclusion about a specific health topic. Only peer-reviewed publications are used and analyzed in a methodology which may or may not include a meta-analysis.

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How do I know if an article is primary research, and whether it is qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods? Last Updated: 17.Mar.2023 Views: 4281

When you're trying to assess whether an article could be classed as primary research, the key aspect to consider is whether the researchers gathered their own data (primary) or made use of existing information (secondary)., to do this, check to see what kind of structure your article has. primary research is often laid out in sections similar to the science experiments you did at school - introduction, methodology (or methods), results, discussion, conclusion . if your article doesn't have those kind of sections, and is arranged by themed subheadings as a more general commentary instead, it is unlikely to be considered primary research..

For example, this article has sub-headings in the Abstract - Background, Methods, Results, Discussion and conclusions - which means it could be primary research.

It is important to read the article carefully to confirm that a) it is primary research and b) what type of methodology has been used. When doing this, look at the Methodology and Results sections in particular.

In the Methodology section , see if you can identify how the researchers gathered their information. Primary research methods could include questionnaires, surveys, interviews and focus groups , whereas secondary research may have trawled academic databases to retrieve articles on a topic. Literature reviews and systematic reviews are considered to be secondary research and may not be accepted by your tutors, although they can still provide useful background information and clues as to primary papers that may be of interest to you.

Quantitative research uses numbers and statistics to find patterns and reach conclusions whereas  qualitative research relates more to peoples' thoughts, opinions and emotions. Mixed methods research uses a combination of the two approaches. As well as reading the Methodology section, the Results section can be a good indication of the approach used. If the results are mainly numerical, statistical or include tables, charts and graphs that would be quantitative. If the results present direct quotations from the study participants, that would be qualitative. 

For further advice on identifying primary research, have a look at this study guide .

Further information on how to read and understand a journal article can be found in print and online resources, especially in the fields of health and medicine. Try looking on the LibrarySearch catalogue for study skills books about reading a paper/how to critique articles and websites such as the BMJ's collection of links based on Trisha Greenhalgh 's book 'H ow to read a paper' (if you are prompted to login, choose the 'login via your institution' option) and Understanding Health Research , developed by the University of Glasgow.

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Primary and secondary sources: what are they and why do I need them?

What are the main differences between primary and secondary sources?

Why do i need to use both primary and secondary sources in my research, examples of primary and secondary sources, frequently asked questions about primary and secondary sources, related articles.

Primary and secondary sources are the two main types of source materials that you will use for your research project. They are both important and needed for your project. Whether you are going to use more primary or more secondary sources depends on your academic level - undergrad, postgrad, or professional.

Both types of sources have importance and merits of their own, but they are also immensely different. This guide will help you understand the differences. If you want to learn even more about both source types separately, where and how you can access them, and when and how to use them, check out the links below:

➡️  What is a primary source?

➡️  What is a secondary source?

The main difference between primary and secondary sources is that primary sources are contemporary.

Primary sources are original and originated from the event they refer to. They are not reviews, analyses, or critiques of events that occurred in the past. They are first-hand information.

Secondary sources are summaries, critiques, opinions, and analyses. They are written by people who did not witness, or have any direct part to play in the event they are describing. The information they contain is based on primary sources and is the author’s interpretation of the event/subject they are covering.

Using both types of sources adds to the merit of your research. By including references to secondary sources , you are showing that you have truly engaged with your research topic. You are providing extra information and displaying a well-rounded approach to your topic. You are not relying solely on the work of one person, or one institution, for your analysis to be based upon. You are reading broadly and contextually.

Likewise, including primary source references in your research shows that you are also going back to the roots. You are looking at the event or object as it happened, without being able to teleport through time and space. A primary source is vital because it will enable you to make your own judgement on an event or object. Secondary sources are always biased, in one sense or another, so engaging with the primary source yourself allows you to view the topic objectively.

Primary and secondary sources complement each other - looking at both can give you a deeper understanding of each. A primary source can help you to evaluate a secondary source - you will notice aspects of it which the author dismisses, or washes over in their discussion. Likewise, a secondary source can tell you about current trends in research and analysis, while providing you with a broad overview or summary of an extended period of time, or the works of an artist.

We have put together a list of examples of primary and secondary sources by fields of study. It will help you identify the nature of your source.

Primary sources are original and originated from the event they refer to. They are not reviews, analyses, or critiques of events that occurred in the past. They are first-hand information. For a more detailed description of what a primary source is, where you can access them, and why you need to use them, see this article about primary sources .

Secondary sources are summaries, critiques, opinions, and analyses. They are written by people who did not witness, or have any direct part to play in the event they are describing. The information they contain is based on primary sources, and is the author’s interpretation of the event/subject they are covering. See this article about secondary sources for further information.

Some examples of primary sources are: Poems, diaries, letters, paintings, government records, maps, interviews (transcribed or recorded), photographs, newspaper articles, results of experiments, case studies, results of clinical trials, minutes of meetings, and proceedings of conferences

Some examples of secondary sources are: Biographies, histories, reviews, encyclopaedias, literary criticism, discussions of importance, analysis of clinical trials, and reviews of results.

The one main difference between primary and secondary sources is that primary sources are contemporary and secondary sources are not.

Whose Story?

• how to start a project
• finding primary sources
• citing and writing

what is a primary source?

Primary sources offer records or what we might even call "evidence" for a topic that you are studying. 

To determine the "primaryness" of a source, it's important to determine a date (or set of dates, a time range) along with a sense of what kinds of sources feel relevant to the topic you're considering. 

Some types of sources that you might position as primary sources in your research:

• newspaper articles
• photographs
• sound recordings
• legal documents

how to find primary sources for your research project

To find sources that you could use as primary sources in your research project, you will want to determine a few things:

• What kinds of sources are you considering? If you are writing about a play, do you want to know how it was covered in newspapers? Are you looking for newspaper coverage from a specific city? Do you want to find photographs (if applicable) of the actors, the stage set, the audience? 
• When is the time range you are considering (in years, or even as narrow as specific months or dates within a year)?
• What kinds of questions do you want this source to help you think through? Here, you might want to consult your keyword list again. 

Reviewing these questions can also help you decide where you want to start a search/searches (see below for places to conduct searches for primary sources you can access online). 

links to digitized primary source collections

For a VERY broad search across a range of publications, to get a sense of how much and what kinds of sources might be accessible to you, consider starting with a CLIO Articles+ search. Make sure to select a publication date range to specify the years and/or dates you are looking at!

You might also try strategic searches in Google , or, for work published in academic journals or by academic presses, you might try a search in Google Scholar .

• African American Newspapers, 1827-1998 African American Newspapers, Series 1 and 2, 1827-1998, provides online access to more than 350 U.S. newspapers chronicling a century and a half of the African American experience. This unique collection, which includes historically significant papers from more than 35 states, features many rare 19th-century titles. Part of the America's Historical Newspapers collection, African American Newspapers was created from the most extensive African American newspaper archives in the world.
• America's Historical Newspapers For searching and browsing American newspapers published in three centuries, America's Historical Newspapers is the most comprehensive online resource available. Continually expanding, it offers searchable digital facsimiles of thousands of titles from all 50 states. With eyewitness reporting, editorials, letters, advertisements, obituaries and much more, this acclaimed collection uniquely chronicles the evolution of American culture and daily life from 1690 to the recent past. America's Historical Newspapers features Early American Newspapers, 1690-1922; 20th-Century American Newspapers, Series 1-3; and American Ethnic Newspapers. The latter includes African American Newspapers, 1827-1998, Hispanic American Newspapers, 1808-1980; and Ethnic American Newspapers from the Balch Collection, 1799-1971.
• Black Newspapers This link opens in a new window Full text and full-image articles from major African American newspapers including but not limited to the Atlanta Daily World, Los Angeles Sentinel, New York Amsterdam News, Pittsburgh Courier, and the Chicago Defender.
• Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers Search America's historic newspaper pages from 1789-1963 or use the U.S. Newspaper Directory to find information about American newspapers published between 1690-present.
• HarpWeek Searchable full text and page images of Harper's Weekly, the popular illustrated 19th and early 20th-century American periodical (1857-1912). Includes a rich collection of indexing and finding aids for textual contents and illustrations.
• ProQuest Historical Newspapers Full-text and full-image articles from major American newspapers: Atlanta Constitution, Baltimore Sun (1837-1985), Boston Globe, Call and Post (1934-1991), Chicago Tribune, Christian Science Monitor (1908-1997), Irish Times (1859-2009), Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Norfolk Journal and Guide (1921-2003), Philadelphia Tribune (1912-2001), San Francisco Chronicle (1865-1922), Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Scotsman (1817-1950). Every page in PDF files.
• Women's Magazine Archive A searchable archive of leading women's interest magazines, dating from the 19th century through to the 21st. Subject coverage includes consumer culture, economics/marketing, family life, fashion, gender studies, health and fitness, home/interior design, popular culture, and social history.
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Characteristics of a Primary Research Article

• Goal is to present the result of original research that makes a new contribution to the body of knowledge
• Sometimes referred to as an empirical research article
• Typically organized into sections that include:  Abstract, Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion/Conclusion, and References.

Example of a Primary Research Article:

Flockhart, D.T.T., Fitz-gerald, B., Brower, L.P., Derbyshire, R., Altizer, S., Hobson, K.A., … Norris, D.R., (2017). Migration distance as a selective episode for wing morphology in a migratory insect. Movement Ecology , 5(1), 1-9. doi: doi.org/10.1186/s40462-017-0098-9

Characteristics of a Review Article

• Goal is to summarize important research on a particular topic and to represent the current body of knowledge about that topic.
• Not intended to provide original research but to help draw connections between research studies that have previously been published.  
• Help the reader understand how current understanding of a topic has developed over time and identify gaps or inconsistencies that need further exploration.

Example of a Review Article:

https://www-sciencedirect-com.ezproxy.oswego.edu/science/article/pii/S0960982218302537

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This handout specifically addresses Primary Sources in Science. For information about locating Scholarly and Peer-Reviewed journals in general, see Identifying Scholarly Journals .

Primary Research Literature

In the sciences, primary literature reports on research conducted by the authors.

When you see an article in a scientific journal, there are several clues that it is primary literature. The most important clues are 1, 2, 4,  and  5 below.

1. The authors are identified.  

2. The authors' affiliations are identified. These are usually universities or scientific institutions.

3. Sometimes the abstract shows evidence that the article is about the author's own research:

4. The authors explain how they did their research. Look for a "Methods," "Materials and Methods," or "Experimental" heading within the article. In shorter articles, often called brief reports, short communications, or letters, there won't be any internal headings but if you read carefully, you will find a brief explanation of how the authors did their research.

5. The authors report their findings. Look for a "Results" heading within the article." In shorter articles, often identified as brief reports, short communications, or letters, there won't be any internal headings, but if you read the article you will find that the authors report their findings.

6. The authors identify the references they used as background for their research . Science advances by building on previous research, and it's important to acknowledge the work that has gone on before. Note that secondary literature, such as review articles also have references. (For more on review articles, see What's Not a Primary Research Article below.) However, the absence of any references is a strong clue that you are not looking at a primary article.

7. Primary articles often contain graphs and tables . However, secondary literature, such as review articles may also have graphs and tables.

Peer Review

Primary articles are often peer reviewed (sometimes called "refereed").   However, secondary literature, such as review articles may also be peer reviewed.

Peer review means that the article was read and critiqued by other experts on the topic at the request of the editor of the journal. Often the peer reviewers will ask for clarifications or changes to the article. Once the authors have completed their revisions, the article is accepted.You can often determine that an article is peer reviewed by looking at the article for the date received and the date accepted or date published. The article was peer reviewed in the interval between those dates.

• Sometimes the indication appears  just below the authors and affiliations . 

• Here's another possibility for indication of peer review near the start of an article :

• Sometimes the peer review information is at the bottom of the first page of the article:

• Sometimes it is at the end of the article after the references:

• Even if you cannot find any dates, the journal could be a peer reviewed journal. Try entering the journal title into Google. The publisher's website for the journal is usually among the first several results. Publishers are proud to publish peer reviewed journals and will usually indicate peer review in their websites. Look for links like "About this Journal," or "Librarian information." Here's an example:

 What's Not a Primary Research Article? 

• News reports about research--though the report may have information you can use to find the primary research article.
• Encyclopedia articles --never report original research.
• No "Methods ,"  "Materials and Methods," or "Experimental" section or details. (Compare to #4 in the section on primary research articles above.)
• No "Results " section or details. (Compare to #5 in the section on primary research articles above.)
• The authors reference other sources throughout the paper . (In primary research articles, most references to others' work are generally confined to the introduction and discussion sections.)
• Databases like Science Direct may indicate review articles. 

• Journals may highlight review articles. Look for a header on the first page of the article. 

• Sometimes the article title contains the word review: 

• Sometimes the abstract or summary mentions that the article is a review:

• Sometimes the information is found in the introductory section

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Science Research: Primary Sources and Original Research vs. Review Articles

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Original Research vs. Review Articles. How can I tell the Difference?

Research vs review articles.

It's often difficult to tell the difference between original research articles and review articles. Here are some explanations and tips that may help: "Review articles are often as lengthy or even longer that original research articles. What the authors of review articles are doing in analysing and evaluating current research and investigations related to a specific topic, field, or problem. They are not primary sources since they review previously published material. They can be of great value for identifying potentially good primary sources, but they aren't primary themselves. Primary research articles can be identified by a commonly used format. If an article contains the following elements, you can count on it being a primary research article. Look for sections titled:

Methods (sometimes with variations, such as Materials and Methods) Results (usually followed with charts and statistical tables) Discussion

You can also read the abstract to get a good sense of the kind of article that is being presented.

If it is a review article instead of a research article, the abstract should make that pretty clear. If there is no abstract at all, that in itself may be a sign that it is not a primary resource. Short research articles, such as those found in Science and similar scientific publications that mix news, editorials, and forums with research reports, however, may not include any of those elements. In those cases look at the words the authors use, phrases such as "we tested"  and "in our study, we measured" will tell you that the article is reporting on original research."*

*Taken from Ithca College Libraries

Primary and Secondary Sources for Science

In the Sciences, primary sources are documents that provide full description of the original research. For example, a primary source would be a journal article where scientists describe their research on the human immune system. A secondary source would be an article commenting or analyzing the scientists' research on the human immune system.

  EXAMPLES OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SOURCES

Source: The Evolution of Scientific Information (from  Encyclopedia of Library and Information Science , vol. 26).

Primary Vs. Secondary Vs. Tertiary Sources

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CRIM 1208: Research Methods

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Which of these is an ORIGINAL (PRIMARY) research article?

What are original (primary) research articles.

• Primary & secondary research

Structure of a primary research article

Primary and secondary research articles.

Once researchers complete a project, they will usually (try to) publish their findings in a peer-reviewed journal. These are often called PRIMARY or ORIGINAL research articles because they are the first-publication of new research findings and are written by the researchers themselves. They may also be called EMPIRICAL articles.

Secondary sources of information describe, explain, interpret or summarize primary sources. These include encyclopedias, book reviews, commentaries, literature reviews, and any books or journal articles that simply discuss the original (previously-published) work of others . Although these can be very helpful sources for identifying primary research articles, they are not primary studies themselves.

VIDEO: What is Original (Primary) Research in Criminology? (19:38)

Describes the typical structure of an original research article, with a particular focus on the Methods section. It shows examples of several types of original research articles (qualitative and quantitative, including articles using secondary data, and meta-analyses), as well as several types of secondary articles (book reviews, editorial essays, theoretical analyses and literature reviews). The emphasis is on learning to read the abstract for indications of original research, and checking for a Methods section in the article. Part 1 of the Finding Original Research Articles in Criminology video series.

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• Video transcript (text file)

• VIDEO: What is Empirical Research? (2:59)
• Finding Peer-Reviewed, Primary Research Articles in Criminology 4-page KPU Library guide.

A primary (original) research article will usually be divided into several labeled sections. The screenshot above is from the video " What is Original (Primary) Research in Criminology? ". You can jump to the 3:10 timestamp to watch the " Sections of an original research article " segment of the video.

• Introduction (which usually includes a literature review)
• Method (often called Methodology or Methods) -- always found in an empirical research article
• Findings or Results
• Conclusions

The names of the parts may vary, but a primary research article will always include a methodology section explaining how the research was conducted (i.e. what type of empirical method was used). Most secondary journal articles do not include a methods section.

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What is an empirical source or primary article?

In many of your classes, especially in the sciences, your professor may specify that you should use primary sources or empirical articles. It is important to understand what that means before you begin your search.

Sources come in three types: Primary, secondary, and tertiary.

• A primary source, in the sciences (sometimes called an empirical source), is the first writing of new research. It reports on a single experiment and is written by those who did the research. This is different than in History, where a primary source is a source from the time period you are studying, or English where a primary source may refer to a piece of literature you are analyzing.
• Secondary sources synthesize and compare primary sources. Secondary sources give an overview on ‘recent research’ on a topic. If you find a secondary source, you can use it to find primary sources, because it will probably cite a whole lot of primary sources.
• Tertiary sources are written for the public or people without in-depth knowledge of the topic. Most of the time, if we want to know something in our life, we use tertiary sources.

Peer-reviewed journals publish many things that are not primary sources, including:

• Literature reviews
• Meta-Analyses/Review articles (These are studies that arrive at conclusions based on research from many other studies.)
• Chapters in books
• Encyclopedia articles
• Speeches and interviews

Identifying Primary Sources Using the Parts of an Article

Identifying a primary or empirical article takes practice.  You have to carefully review each of the parts of the article.

Abstract: The abstract of an article is a short summary of the research. A primary source will have an abstract that includes a hypothesis and an active statement of research that the author(s) performed. Pay special attention to the way the abstract describes the type of research that was conducted.

Here is an abstract of a primary source . One of the big clues is the inclusion of participants in the study and the description of how the experiment was carried out.

Here is an abstract of a secondary source . The authors include an active statement of research, but the process they describe includes searching other people’s research and comparing multiple studies.

Methods: A Primary source should have a methods section. Secondary sources occasionally have a methods section, so be sure to read carefully to understand whether they did original research (lab work, clinical trial, interviews, surveys, analyzing historical records) or if they found and analyzed the research of others (the authors might discuss conducting a literature review or searching different databases).

Here is the methods section of a primary source , with excerpts from “participants” and “measures” sections. (Other primary articles might look different, but will include similar information)

Here is the methods section of a secondary article . Not all secondary articles will have a methods section, but if they do, it should outline the search process and qualities of studies that would indicate their inclusion in the research.

Results: A primary source should also have a results section, where the authors present the raw data that they collected. Some secondary sources will have a section labeled results that summarize their analysis of the primary sources they reviewed. Remember, if it is a primary source, there should be data collected from the study.

Here is an excerpt from the results section of a primary source.  It reports data and trends in data that were gathered by the author(s).

Here is an excerpt from the results section of a secondary source . It reports the summary of data and data trends found in other studies, not directly conducted by the author(s).

The results section of a primary source will usually include tables, charts, and graphs that help to make the data more understandable. Some secondary sources also contain graphs or tables that explain the process they used to select which primary articles to review. Be sure that you understand what the table, chart, or graph is trying to show.

Here is a data table from a primary source . This table shows the data gathered from different treatment groups in the study.

Here is a data table from a secondary source . This table shows the details of the articles they included in their study.

Discussion: In the discussion section, a primary source will analyze and explain the results to draw preliminary conclusions and discuss how their findings compare to existing research.

Here is an excerpt from the discussion section of a primary source (case study). It discusses the evidence and outcome of a specific study conducted by the author(s).

Here is an excerpt from the discussion section of a secondary source . Some keywords include "exploratory examination" of other studies and "systemic review".

If you aren't sure if an article you've found is a primary source - ask a librarian!  

Your professor is the final judge of whether an article is appropriate for a particular assignment, so be sure to discuss your source selection with them. 

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What you need to know ahead of Minnesota’s primary election

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With the 2024 Minnesota primary elections coming up on Tuesday, here is what to know before you vote.

• Take MPR News' candidate quiz Which primary candidate most closely aligns with your views?
• How to Voting in the 2024 Minnesota primary election in August
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What is a judicial election and what do elected judges do?

Judicial elections select state and local judges. In Minnesota, a judge serves six-year terms. In the general election in November, voters will see both statewide and some local judicial races. Of the seven justices on the Minnesota Supreme Court, two of them are in contested elections.

For the Minnesota Court of Appeals, there are 19 judges and this year one is in a contested race. In some cases, Minnesota Court of Appeals judges must reside in a specific congressional district, but the election is still statewide. Learn more.

• Voter Guide Judge: District 6

Who is running in Minnesota’s Senate race?

U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar and six candidates who want to replace her in November fielded questions about farm policy at Farm Fest last week. Klobuchar, a Democrat running for a fourth term, trumpeted her support for federal farm policies.

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While answering a question about how the federal government should respond to animal pandemics, Royce White — the Minnesota Republican Party’s endorse candidate — pivoted to climate change policies that target methane emissions from livestock.

Joe Fraser, a Republican challenging White in the GOP primary, said the next Farm Bill should support small farms. Learn more.

• Voter Guide U.S. Senate Minnesota

How will GOP candidates combat DFL incumbent Sen. Amy Klobuchar?

August’s primary, which includes eight Republican candidates, will determine who will advance to the general election and try to deny Klobuchar a fourth term that would be rare for Minnesota. Klobuchar is heavily favored in a DFL primary that has five candidates on the ballot.

Delegates to the Republican state convention endorsed Royce White, who has a bare-knuckle style but a raft of personal problems and off-color commentary that could turn off voters.

Some prominent party figures instead prefer Joe Fraser, a more-staid candidate who filed for the August primary despite previously saying he’d honor the convention endorsement. Learn more.

Control of the state Senate will be decided in November. Two DFLers are vying for a spot on the general election ballot

Minnesota state Sen. Kelly Morrison resigned her seat as she launches her bid to represent Minnesota’s 3rd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The move tees up a special election for her state Senate seat in District 45 and could determine whether Democrats maintain control of the chamber or if it could flip to GOP control. There are two DFLers vying to replace Morrison .

The winner will face the sole Republican candidate for the seat, Kathleen Fowke. Democrats held a one-seat majority, but the departure splits the Senate evenly between 33 Democrats and 33 Republicans. Learn more.

• Voter Guide State Senate: District 45

The GOP battle in the 7th District — Rep. Fischbach vs. challenger Boyd

Two-term U.S. Rep. Michelle Fischbach carved out a solidly conservative reputation at the state Capitol before winning a western Minnesota congressional seat four years ago. Yet some in her party don’t think Fischbach is conservative enough, and they’re backing challenger Steve Boyd in Minnesota’s Aug. 13 primary. 

The winner will be heavily favored to secure the seat in November. Boyd was able to  successfully block  the Republican Party’s endorsement of Fischbach at their convention.

Neither mustered the votes necessary to win, but the congresswoman didn’t seem concerned about the endorsement situation when asked about it. Learn more.

• Voter Guide U.S. House: District 7

Omar has familiar challenger in Minnesota's 5th, but the race isn't playing out in same way

U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar has risen as a national political figure since first being elected to Congress in 2018 as part of progressive group dubbed “The Squad.” 

That prominence has made her vulnerable to criticism from Republicans in powerful elected positions, but it doesn’t pose a threat to her in general elections. Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District is one of the most reliable Democratic strongholds in the country.

But in a primary election next Tuesday, Omar faces another challenge from former Minneapolis City Council member Don Samuels, who came two points from beating her in 2022 largely by overperforming the incumbent in the suburbs of Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District.  Learn more.

• Voter Guide U.S. House: District 5
• Vice presidential campaign pulls Gov. Tim Walz away from Minnesota
• Walz and Vance agree to date for vice presidential debate
• How to vote in the 2024 Minnesota primary election

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NIH launches program to advance research led by Native American communities on substance use and pain

Effort aims to elevate Indigenous Knowledge and culture in research, to respond to the overdose crisis and address related health disparities

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has launched a program that will support Native American communities to lead public health research to address overdose, substance use, and pain, including related factors such as mental health and wellness. Despite the inherent strengths in Tribal communities, and driven in part by social determinants of health, Native American communities face unique health disparities related to the opioid crisis. For instance, in recent years, overdose death rates have been highest among American Indian and Alaska Native people . Research prioritized by Native communities is essential for enhancing effective, culturally grounded public health interventions and promoting positive health outcomes.

“Elevating the knowledge, expertise, and inherent strengths of Native people in research is crucial for creating sustainable solutions that can effectively promote public health and health equity,” said Nora D. Volkow, M.D., director of NIH’s National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). “As we look for ways to best respond to the overdose crisis across the country, it is crucial to recognize that Native American communities have the best perspective for developing prevention and therapeutic interventions consistent with their traditions and needs. This program will facilitate research that is led by Native American communities, for Native American communities.”

Totaling approximately $268 million over seven years, pending the availability of funds, the Native Collective Research Effort to Enhance Wellness (N CREW) Program will support research projects that are led directly by Tribes and organizations that serve Native American communities, and was established in direct response to priorities identified by Tribes and Native American communities.

Many Tribal Nations have developed and continue to develop innovative approaches and systems of care for community members with substance use and pain disorders. During NIH Tribal Consultations in 2018 and 2022 , Tribal leaders categorized the opioid overdose crisis as one of their highest priority issues and called for research and support to respond. They shared that Native communities must lead the science and highlighted the need for research capacity building, useful real-time data, and approaches that rely on Indigenous Knowledge and community strengths to meet the needs of Native people.

The N CREW Program focuses on:

• Supporting research prioritized by Native communities, including research elevating and integrating Indigenous Knowledge and culture
• Enhancing capacity for research led by Tribes and Native American Serving Organizations by developing and providing novel, accessible, and culturally grounded technical assistance and training, resources, and tools
• Improving access to, and quality of, data on substance use, pain, and related factors to maximize the potential for use of these data in local decision-making.

“Native American communities have been treating pain in their communities for centuries, and this program will uplift that knowledge to support research that is built around cultural strengths and priorities,” said Walter Koroshetz, M.D., director of NIH’s National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). “These projects will further our collective understanding of key programs and initiatives that can effectively improve chronic pain management for Native American and other communities.”

The first phase of the program will support projects to plan, develop, and pilot community-driven research and/or data improvement projects to address substance use and pain. In this phase, NIH will also support the development of a Native Research Resource Network to provide comprehensive training, resources, and real-time support to N CREW participants.

The second phase of the program, anticipated to begin in fall 2026, will build on the work conducted in the initial phase of the program to further capacity building efforts and implement community-driven research and/or data improvements projects. Additional activities that support the overarching goals of the N CREW Program may also be identified as the program develops.

The N CREW Program is led by the NIH’s NIDA, NINDS, and National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), with participation from numerous other NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices. The N CREW Program is funded through the NIH Helping to End Addiction Long-term Initiative (or NIH HEAL Initiative) , which is jointly managed by NIDA and NINDS. For the purposes of the N CREW Program, Native Americans include American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians. Projects will be awarded on a rolling basis and publicly listed .

This new program is part of work to advance the President’s Unity Agenda and the HHS Overdose Prevention Strategy .

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988  or chat at 988lifeline.org . To learn how to get support for mental health, drug or alcohol conditions, visit  FindSupport.gov . If you are ready to locate a treatment facility or provider, you can go directly to  FindTreatment.gov or call  800-662-HELP (4357) .

Helping to End Addiction Long-term® and NIH HEAL Initiative® are registered service marks of the Department of Health and Human Services.

About the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA): NIDA is a component of the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIDA supports most of the world’s research on the health aspects of drug use and addiction. The Institute carries out a large variety of programs to inform policy, improve practice, and advance addiction science. For more information about NIDA and its programs, visit www.nida.nih.gov .

About the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS): NINDS is the nation’s leading funder of research on the brain and nervous system. The mission of NINDS is to seek fundamental knowledge about the brain and nervous system and to use that knowledge to reduce the burden of neurological disease. For more information about NINDS and its programs, visit www.ninds.nih.gov .

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH) : NIH, the nation’s medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit https://www.nih.gov .

About substance use disorders: Substance use disorders are chronic, treatable conditions from which people can recover. In 2023, nearly 49 million people in the United States had at least one substance use disorder. Substance use disorders are defined in part by continued use of substances despite negative consequences. They are also relapsing conditions, in which periods of abstinence (not using substances) can be followed by a return to use. Stigma can make individuals with substance use disorders less likely to seek treatment. Using preferred language can help accurately report on substance use and addiction. View NIDA’s online guide.

About chronic pain: Chronic pain affects more than 50 million adults in the U.S. It may last for months, years, or a lifetime after its onset from trauma or another chronic health disorder. Multidisciplinary approaches and access to safe, effective, and quality care are essential for reducing pain and improving quality of life.

NIH…Turning Discovery Into Health ®

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