Peer-reviewed primary literature in the sciences is generally new, original research and scientific discoveries. It will often be the immediate results of one’s research and will include analysis of the data that has been collected. Primary literature will often have an abstract, an introduction, a methods or materials and methods, a results, a discussion, a conclusion, and a references portion. Secondary literature in the sciences is literature that summarizes what has been written in the primary literature, making it less specific and more broad than primary literature would be. Secondary literature is often very helpful when looking for more information on a specific topic since they have bibliographies. Tertiary literature in the sciences will offer a condensed version of material that references primary or secondary sources. In general, they are useful for searching up information about a topic or facts. Some examples of tertiary literature in the sciences would include textbooks or encyclopedias. An example of peer-reviewed primary literature would be the article “Genetic variation in the vulnerable and endemic Monkey Puzzle tree, detected using RAPDs” (Bekessy, S., Allnutt, T., Premoli, A. et al. Genetic variation in the vulnerable and endemic Monkey Puzzle tree, detected using RAPDs. Heredity 88, 243–249 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.hdy.6800033). An example of peer-reviewed secondary literature would be “Biology, ecology and conservation of the Mobulidae.” An example of peer-reviewed tertiary literature would be an encyclopedia. Knowing the difference between peer-reviewed primary literature, secondary literature and tertiary literature is crucial for students since knowing what kind of sources you should be looking for and using when doing an assignment is important.
Applied Plant Ecology Winter 2020 