Peer reviewed primary literature presents original research and information that was at some point reviewed by other academics. These literature sources can take the form of, but are not limited to, conference proceedings, pre-publication prints of articles, and articles in general. The most common form of an article accessed by the general public is the journal article, which can be easily accessed online. Journal articles are an excellent method to learn about and understand the results of various scientific studies. A journal article that I find particularly interesting is entitled “Habitat persistence, habitat availability and the evolution of dispersal,” written by Justin Travis and Calvin Dytham. The article discusses dispersal and migration rates of animals and plants, and the various factors that affect these rates.
In addition, secondary sources are those that evaluate or discuss aspects of primary literature. Secondary sources interpret the analysis presented in primary literature, which can also present as a limitation. When secondary literature is being used or viewed, it is important to understand that a bias is usually present. The information is essentially being delivered through a variety of filters, since the author’s perspective shapes the literature. Some secondary sources include documentaries, textbooks (can be considered tertiary sources), magazine articles, academic books and biographies. An example of a secondary source would be the website https://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780199830060/obo-9780199830060-0083.xml. This website presents a bibliography of Rachel Carson, who was a female ecologist. This is a secondary source, as an author gathered information from a primary source to present the information.
Furthermore, tertiary sources collect information from both primary and secondary literature sources. Common tertiary sources include dictionaries, some textbooks (can also be considered a secondary source), manuals, directories, guidebooks and encyclopedias. Textbooks are considered tertiary sources when the main goal of the text is to summarize or list information from different sources. However, authors are typically not credited if a source of literature is tertiary. An example of a tertiary source of information would be the Wikipedia page https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plant_ecology. The information found on this website is gathered from a variety of primary, secondary and tertiary literature sources. Also, there is not one specific credited author, as various authors contributed to the content found on this website.
Therefore, it is important to be able to recognize whether a source of literature is primary, secondary or tertiary. Primary literature presents original information, typically in the form of an article. Also, secondary literature bases information on primary literature; however, there is often bias present in these sources. Finally, tertiary literature gathers information from both secondary and primary sources. This information is usually a good starting point for research, but is usually not trusted enough to cite in a research paper. Overall, finding reliable sources of information is important not only in academia, but also for life outside of academia. This is an important skill that everyone should acquire at some point.
Works Cited:
Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Sources. (2020, February 10). Retrieved from https://library.carleton.ca/help/primary-secondary-and-tertiary-sources
Applied Plant Ecology Winter 2020 