Provide the original findings, results, or data from research, studies, observations, and experiments that have been generated by a researcher. 

Primary journal articles will often include sections like: Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion

How to spot them? Look for articles that report on one specific research project and use terms like "we conducted," "our study shows," or "we collected data from...".

In some databases, like PsycInfo, you can use filters for empirical studies to help locate primary sources. In many cases, you'll need to do a closer analysis yourself to determine if it meets your needs.

Produce or compile information originally reported in primary sources. Secondary sources may summarize a single piece of research, provide a general overview of a topic, or review a collection of research on a specific topic over a period of years. 

Derive their information from primary or secondary sources. 

Examples of published primary sources:

• journal articles
• technical reports
• Conference papers (proceedings)
• Theses & dissertations
• Patents

Examples of unpublished primary sources:

• field notes
• interviews
• letters/correspondence
• specimens (e.g. plants)
• lab notebooks & diaries

Examples:

• review articles (e.g. narrative reviews, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, scoping reviews)
• books
• science magazines (e.g. Scientific American, New Scientist)

Examples:

• manuals
• almanacs
• bibliographies
• chronologies
• handbooks (fact books, data books, constants)
• dictionaries
• encyclopedias
• directories
• reference materials (e.g. encyclopedias, dictionaries) and handbooks (e.g. CRC handbook of chemistry & physics)