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Course & Subject Guides

Biology and Chemistry Capstone - Greensburg Campus

This guide will assist undergraduate students in completing their research for their senior class in biology or chemistry.

Primary Literature

Your research will focus on the primary literature. These are the first-hand accounts of new research written by those who conducted the research.

While patents, dissertations, and other documents report original research, journal articles are the most widely used primary sources in the sciences.

To recognize primary literature, consider the following:

  • Do the authors write about studies or experiments they conducted?
  • Are details of experimental procedures or methods described?
  • Are experimental results reported?

Types of Scientific Documents

There are many types of scientific documents written for various purposes.  A few of the main ones are described below. For your paper, the most important sources will be journal articles.

Research article (journal article)

  • gives a full report on new research conducted by the authors
  • intermediate length, typically 5-30 pages
  • usually divided into sections such as introduction, methods, results, discussion, and conclusion
  • provides sufficient detail for others to evaluate the conclusions or repeat the experiment
  • cites relevant literature used by the authors in their research

Communication (journal article) - sometimes labeled as a letter or note

  • reports a significant research result that does not require an extensive study
  • brief article, typically 2-4 pages
  • usually not divided into sections
  • cites relevant literature used by the authors in their research
  • should not be confused with letters to the editor

Review article (journal article)

  • does not report original research
  • reviews previously published literature on a particular topic
  • frequently focuses on a specific time period
  • reports on work done by many researchers 
  • long articles, typically 20 - 60 pages
  • usually contains extensive lists of literature references

Other common types of documents that may turn up in your searches:

Conference proceedings

  • reports of presentations made at professional meetings
  • may be full articles or just abstracts of presentations

Patent

  • describes a new invention
  • provides legal rights for the inventor
  • a government document

Dissertation

  • describes new research conducted for a Ph.D. or other advanced degree
  • reviewed and accepted by a faculty committee

What makes information "scholarly"

Instructors often ask students to find “scholarly”, “academic”, or “peer reviewed” sources of information for their research.  These terms all refer to the same type of information – sources based on in-depth research, and are considered higher in quality and more reliable for your research. 

These sources can range from chapters within books or entire books, or journal articles, but all have common characteristics that can help you recognize that type of information.

Types of Articles

Although it is not always appropriate to use scholarly articles, they are considered to be the gold standard for quality.

What is a scholarly article?

Often referred to as "peer-reviewed" or "academic," scholarly articles are concerned with academic study, especially research, exhibiting methods and attitudes of a scholar.

What are the general characteristics of scholarly articles?

  • a sober, serious look
  • often contain many graphs and charts but few colorful pictures
  • always cite their sources in the form of footnotes, endnotes, or a bibliography
  • articles are written by a scholar in the field about which they are writing
  • assumes some scholarly background on the part of the reader (can be more difficult to read than other article types)
  • main purpose is to report on original research or experimentation

What are general purpose articles?

These are articles written for the general public in newspapers and magazines or on news websites. More substantive publications in this area include The Economist, U.S. News and World Report, National Geographic, and Scientific American. 

What are the characteristics of a general purpose publication?

  • Designed for a broad segment of the population
  • Articles written by a journalist or freelance writer for the general public
  • Usually read for information, entertainment or to keep up with current events
  • Print edition may have a bright cover with glossy pictures
  • Lots of advertising.

What are trade publications?

Trade publications are generally focused on a specific field but are not intended to be "scholarly."  Rather, they communicate news and trends of interest to those working in that field.

What are the characteristics of trade or professional publications?

  • Provides information of use to a particular industry, often using the industry's language or jargon
  • Articles are not peer reviewed
  • No specific format
  • Articles are sometimes unsigned; may be written by practitioners in the field
  • Advertising is used to appeal to those in the field