There are many different ways to define the sciences and within this page they are being examined quite broadly. That is not to say the sciences don't have their own unique attributes that make doing research in each field slightly different.
The sciences encompass many different fields and have many different types of primary research available. There is variety amongst each discipline and some overlap as well. It is important to note that if you have any confusion about what is or is not a primary source, reaching out to your instructor or your subject liaison librarian is a good idea. They can help guide you. Below are some examples of primary sources.
Original research published in a book or peer-reviewed journals can sometimes be hard to identify, but there are a few ways to do so. One way is to become familiar with the types of studies and methodologies that are common in your field. For example, a randomized control trial completed in a health sciences journal where there is also a clearly laid out experimental methodology, discussion of results, and potentially graphs or tables that further describe the data then you are probably looking at an original research article.
In a broader sense, though, original research often has a clear question at the beginning; methodology that clearly lays out how the research was completed (and could thus be replicated by others); a results section that may include data presented in images, graphs, or tables; and a discussion that breaks down what those results mean in terms of the question that was introduced in the beginning of the article.
If the authors mention that something is a systematic review or a meta-analysis in it's introduction and spends a significant time examining other literature and making connections between it - it is probably not a primary source.
If you have trouble discerning if it is or is not original research, reaching out to your instructor or the library is a great idea!
Just because a source is considered primary doesn't mean you can use it without looking at it with a critical eye. Much like when you look at other sources, you have to consider elements of its creation and intended use. When looking at primary sources in the sciences you should consider a few key ideas.
The Kraemer Family Library has resources to help you find primary sources, both within our collections and beyond. Research guides related to your discipline can be a great place to start further research, and the subject librarian who works with your discipline is a great resource too.