When you're searching for information, you may need either primary or secondary research, or both. It's also important to understand the term peer review (sometimes referred to as "refereed"), and know what is expected in a literature review.
Primary sources: An investigation that collects original (primary) data; examples are: research studies, clinical trials, PhD dissertations, technical reports and data that hasn't been summarized, interpreted or evaluated.
Secondary sources: An evaluation, summary or synthesis of primary data or studies; examples are literature (or systematic) review articles, and some clinical consult tools like Dynamed and UpToDate.
Peer review:
- An editorial process used by certain journals to evaluate the rigor and suitability of research articles or studies that are submitted for publication.
- A panel of experts (peers) anonymously assesses article submissions, offering suggested revisions before making a final decision to reject or accept them.
- Journals using this process are called peer reviewed (or refereed).
Literature Review: A comprehensive summary and discussion of studies on a particular topic addressing questions such as: Why is the topic important? What are the studies strengths/weaknesses? How could future studies be improved to extend the research base?
Need to know more about research terms? Review the document below.
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