How to recognize NURS study methodology

Articles that describe the methodology and results of a study they performed first hand are primary sources. It's also important to specify that the study design of a primary source does NOT depend on systematically searching for previous studies that will then be analyzed or synthesized as part of the study. A study design that relies on analyzing the results of previous studies is a secondary source.

This guide describes what primary sources mean in the health sciences. This definition may not be true for other fields. 

Things to Ask Yourself:

• Does the article describe conducting a study by gathering and comparing data, introducing and assessing a variable or intervention, conducting a survey, or performing interviews?
  • Primary studies describe research the authors did themselves, and specifically research that does not involve gathering and analyzing studies done by other researchers. 
• Look at the methodology section and title. Does it describe the study design as one of the study types mentioned in the following section?

Types of Study Designs for Primary Articles:

• Case Studies
• Clinical Trials
• Comparative Studies
• Observational Studies
• Randomized Controlled Trials
• Longitudinal
• Cross Sectional
• Experimental
• Quasi-experimental

Things to Ask Yourself:

• Does the article's methodology section describe searching in databases for articles meeting certain criteria?
  • Secondary studies analyze the results of other studies to draw big conclusions about best practice. So their methodology sections will typically describe the careful process they used to find as many results as possible, including what databases they searched, what keywords they used, and what the inclusion and exclusion criteria were for any articles analyzed in the study.
• Look at the methodology section and title. Does it describe the study design as one of the following types of studies?

Types of Study Designs for Secondary Articles:

• Systematic Reviews
• Meta Analyses
• Meta Narratives
• Meta Syntheses
• Literature Review
• Narrative Review
• Practice Guidelines