Characteristics and examples of primary, secondary and tertiary
sources in the sciences
Primary
- In research journals
- Usually only include references to other primary sources
- Covers very focused and specialized topics
Example: The journal Boundary-Layer Meteorology
Secondary
- Research writings or graduate level text
- Generally include a large bibliography
- Usually references are primary sources
- Topic coverage is more focused than tertiary, but less focused than
primary
Example: The book Atmospheric Boundary Layer, by J.R. Garratt, 1992.
Tertiary
- Undergraduate text, or a textbook designed for a course
- Sparse references, generally secondary sources
- General and very broad topic coverage
Example: The book The Atmosphere, by R.A. Anthes, et al., 2nd ed. 1978