One of the most basic ways to categorize research is by classifying it as either Primary or Secondary:
- Primary: an investigation that collects original data (an experiment is performed; clinical trial)
- Secondary: discusses, reviews, analyzes primary data (encyclopedia; review article)
There are also several terms that apply specifically to research articles:
- Scholarly Journal
Scholarly journals are published for an academic audience by a recognized society with academic goals and missions.
- Peer Reviewed
A publication is considered to be peer reviewed if its articles go through an official editorial process that involves review and approval by the experts in the same subject area. Most (but not all) scholarly publications are peer reviewed.
- Full text
The entire article (not just the citation or abstract) is available.
Review the document below for more a more detailed explanation of these terms, as well as to review other basic research terms with which you should be familiar:
