SU Library: Primary and Secondary Sources in the Sciences: Finding Primary and Secondary Sources

Searching Multiple Databases at a Time

There are several ways to find primary and secondary source articles. One option is OneSearch, which contains both kinds of articles:

Searching One Database at a Time

Depending on your topic, it may make sense to search one database at a time. These database contain both primary and secondary sources in the science and medical fields:

ACS Publications This link opens in a new window
The American Chemical Society is the premier publisher of chemical journals
Description: Premier publisher of journals in all fields of chemistry
Coverage: Full-text journals included are Analytical Chemistry (1996-), Journal of Chemical Education (1924-), Journal of Medicinal Chemistry (1996-), Journal of Organic Chemistry (1996-), and Journal of the American Chemical Society (1996-).
CINAHL Plus with Full Text This link opens in a new window
comprehensive database of nursing and allied health literature
JSTOR This link opens in a new window
full text collection of scholarly journals
Description: Full-text scholarly articles in business, the arts and sciences.
Coverage: Varies by publication title Title lists for our subscription content:
Mobile Access www.jstor.org
Medline with Full Text This link opens in a new window
scholarly journals in the life sciences
PubMed This link opens in a new window
exhaustive journal coverage for biomedical literature and the life sciences
ScienceDirect College Edition This link opens in a new window
scholarly full-text journals in biology, chemistry, biochemistry, physics, medicine, psychology, mathematics, biotechnology, and forensic sciences
CAS SciFinder-n This link opens in a new window
Comprehensive database for chemistry and other fields, including biochemistry, chemical engineering, materials science, nanotechnology, physics, environmental science, and engineering. Users must register before accessing the database.

To register for an account, click here.

Recommended Databases

In the sciences, primary and secondary sources may look very similar at first glance. It may be helpful to use a database that clearly labels primary vs. secondary sources, or gives you a way to search for only one or the other. The following databases have options that make this process easier for you:

ScienceDirect College Edition This link opens in a new window
Scholarly full-text journals in all sciences fields, including biology, ecology, chemistry, biochemistry, immunology, physics, medicine, nursing, psychology, mathematics, forensic sciences, biotechnology, computer science, and food research. Also includes full-text ebooks in forensics, criminal justice, psychology, and more.
CINAHL Plus with Full Text This link opens in a new window
Comprehensive database in the fields of nursing and allied health, containing research, EBP, and other professional publications
PubMed This link opens in a new window
Extensive database that includes research in the sciences, medicine, biomedicine, nursing, dentistry, veterinary medicine, life sciences, and more. Some content is available in full-text; other articles may be available from publisher web sites.

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Primary and Secondary Sources in the Sciences

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Searching Multiple Databases at a Time

OneSearch

Searching One Database at a Time

Recommended Databases