Primary and secondary sources of data
Primary sources of data are original materials. They offer first-hand accounts of a topic. This includes original research articles. For example, the results of a research study or clinical trial.
Secondary sources are those that discuss, analyse and bring together information from primary sources. These can be scientific reviews.
Research articles
Research papers are academic writing that offer analysis and interpretation of data. It is independent evidence on a certain topic. Other names for research papers include journal articles, manuscripts, articles or literature.
Peer-reviewed Journal articles
A journal article is a way to formally share research. They are published in peer-reviewed academic journals. Peer-reviewed refers to work evaluated by one or more experts in the field. Some (poor quality) journal articles are published without peer review. Journal articles include the aim, introduction, methods, results, discussion, conclusion and recommendations. Journals publish several issues throughout the year with recent research written by experts in the field.
Review articles
A review article is a type of research publication that combines and sums up existing research on a certain topic. There are many types of review articles:
- A literature reviews offers an overview of research on a particular area. It occurs by summarising research collected on a certain topic to offer analysis, and evaluation to reach an overall conclusion.
- A systematic review is a reliable account of existing evidence. The aim to gather and make clear all the evidence to find the overall answer to a question. This helps find out where new studies are needed. They are at the top of the evidence hierarchy. They use neutral in-depth practices that can be repeated to make sure the results are correct.
- A scoping review offers an overview of a large body of evidence on a broad topic. It does not aim to offer an answer to help make decisions.
Protocols
Protocols offer a clear plan for the study. They include:
- Background information: why should we do the study.
- The aim of the study.
- Methods: How should we do the study.
- The study population: Who will be in the study.
- Reference: Supporting evidence.
Report
A report is a structured document on a specific topic. It offers clear information and direction on decision and outcomes.
Grey literature
Grey literature refers to research that is often not peer reviewed and published outside of academia. It can still be reliable and valuable in research. Grey literature can be harder to find because they are not always in academic databases. Reports are written by:
- Academia
- Businesses
- Companies
- Governments
- Industry
- Organisations
- Peak bodies
Examples of grey literature include:
- Government reports
- Policy statements
- Media releases
- Conference proceedings
- Pre-print and post-print of articles
- Theses and dissertations
- Research reports
- Maps
- Newsletters
- Factsheets
- Videos
- Census data
- Clinical trials and practice guidelines
- Technical reports
Perspective pieces
Perspective pieces allow the author to offer a viewpoint including a vision, criticism, or address controversy. Personal perspectives and opinions are highly encouraged. They are reviewed for quality and relevance of the argument. Other names include editorials, opinion pieces or commentary.