The phrase "primary sources" can have a couple of different meanings when it comes to research. For example, in history, it means documents that can provide insight into the lived experience and thoughts of people at various points in time. In the physical, social, and health sciences, however, the phrase "primary sources" generally refers to scholarly (peer-reviewed) articles that document original research. This type of research is also called empirical research.
Unlike historical primary sources, primary sources in the sciences can include articles about:
Some of the Fulton Library's databases include tools and filters that can help you locate primary sources on your topic. This guide will show you how to use those. This guide also includes advice on identifying primary/empirical research.
Because methodologies are not always readily apparent in the title or abstract, you may need to skim through the methodology section of an article to make sure it's relevant. In these examples, we highlighted some key terminology to look for as you search for primary or empirical articles.
Sari Ozturk, C., & Kilicarslan Toruner, E. (2022). The effect of mindfulness‐based mandala activity on anxiety and spiritual well‐being levels of senior nursing students: A randomized controlled study. Perspectives in Psychiatric Care, 58(4), 2897-2909. https://doi.org/10.1111/ppc.13138
Purpose: This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of mindfulness‐based mandala activity on the anxiety levels and spiritual well‐being of nursing students who started clinical practice after distance education during COVID‐19 period. Design and Methods: This study is a randomized controlled study employing a pre‐/posttest design with a single‐blind, parallel group. The study was completed with a total of 170 participants (n = 84, intervention group; n = 86, control group). Data were collected using the Descriptive Characteristics Form, State‐trait Anxiety Inventory, Spirituality Well‐Being Scale, and Scale of Positive and Negative Experience. The intervention group participated in three mindfulness‐based mandala sessions. This study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov as NCT05053178. Findings: In three sessions, there was a significant decrease in the intervention group compared with the control group regarding the mean values of pretest and posttest anxiety levels. Evaluation of the mean scores Spiritual Well‐Being Scale before and after the intervention showed a significant decrease in the scores between groups (p < 0.05). Practice Implications: With mindfulness‐based mandala activity, the well‐being of nursing students can be increased.
Wu, W., Ke, T., Zhou, X., Li, Q., Tao, Y., Zhang, Y., Zeng, Y., Cao, J., & Chen, L. (2022). Synergistic remediation of copper mine tailing sand by microalgae and fungi. Applied Soil Ecology, 175. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsoil.2022.104453
Biological soil crusts (BSCs) could strengthen soil particles, increase soil nutrients, and reduce soil erosion. However, available information on stabilizing mine tailing sand by induced BSCs is lacking. In this study, a native microalgae (i.e., Coelastrella sp.) and two fungi (i.e., Aspergillus sp. and Penicillium sp.) isolated from Cu mine tailing sand were inoculated onto the tailing sand in different manners. After being inoculated for 90 days, microorganisms could effectively colonize and form BSCs on the surface of the tailing sand, as proven by scanning electron microscopy images and growth parameters, and the dual inoculation of microalgae and fungi showed synergistic effects on the improved soil properties. Compared with the control treatment, the microorganism co-inoculation group had increased organic carbon, cation exchange capacity, soil moisture, sucrase activity, and microbial biomass carbon by 55.41%, 27.18%, 6.29%, 471%, and 216%, respectively; decreased pH from 9.09 to 8.95; and decreased bioavailable Cu content and bulk density by 15.43% and 6.30%, respectively. This finding indicated that the formation of BSCs could effectively improve the soil properties of mine tailing sand. The composition of dissolved organic matters analyzed by excitation–emission matrix showed that the increase in carbon content in tailing sand was predominantly caused by microalgae and fungi. These results indicated that the use of native microorganisms to construct biological crusts could effectively improve the properties of tailing sand and increase the nutrient content, and it could be used as a new method for tailing restoration.
One option for finding primary, original, or empirical research articles is to run a search that includes a type of research methodology. You can also search just by a type of methodology if you're looking for any examples using the method or you can combine your topic with a type of methodology.
For best results, make sure that filters for peer-reviewed/scholarly journals are checked.
NOTE: Using "primary source" as a search term often does not work in STEM research. It may bring up irrelevant historical results.
For a review of how to format your searches, see the Search Strategies page on our Starting Your Research guide:
There are two ways to use filters to limit your search to empirical or original research. One option is to use the advanced search options to limit your results by methodology. This option is only available in some databases. If this option is not available, you'll need to go with the second option, which is to use filters that appear on databases' results page after you run your initial search. This page will explain both options.
Some databases include filters among their advanced search options that you can use to search for studies that use specific research methodologies. This method isn't foolproof. Not all methodologies will be available in these filters and articles that don't have their methodologies listed in the database record may be overlooked.
Once you've run an initial search, many databases will offer a variety of filters that can help you eliminate articles that won't be useful. Some of these filters can remove articles by their publication date. Other filters can remove articles in languages you don't read. For our purposes, we're going to look at two filters that can help you find empirical or original research: article type filters and subject filters.
Remember that, to use these filters, you will need to run an initial search.
Once you've run a search, look for a column of filter options that you can use to add additional criteria to your search. (Location of filters varies depending on the database you're using.) This example comes from ScienceDirect:
Different databases use different labels for original or empirical research articles. ScienceDirect uses research articles as a general label for this kind of research. Select the type of article you want and, if necessary, apply the filter to re-sort your results.
If you're unsure which label is the right one to use, feel free to ask a librarian!
Another option is to use the subject filter that appears on the results page of many of the library's databases. These filters take the most frequently occurring assigned keywords and subjects to help you weed out irrelevant results. Because these assigned terms can also include methodology information, you can use these filters to locate articles that use specific methodologies.
Once you've started a search, look for a column of filters. (Location varies depending on the database). These examples come from OneSearch:
To use these filters, click on methodologies used in original or empirical research and then apply them to re-sort your results. If you're not sure which methodologies to select, contact a librarian or use our research methodologies guide (below) to learn more about different types of research.
Librarians are here to help you in a variety of ways! We are experts in doing research and can help with all steps in the research process.
• In Person: The Research Help Desk is located on the first floor of the library. Librarians at this desk can help with research questions or provide assistance using library resources. No appointment is needed for help at the Research Help Desk.
• Call: 801.863.8840
• Text: 801.290.8123