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Biology: Literature Review

A collection of databases and reference sources for Biology compiled
for students, faculty and researchers at York University

Understanding Literature Review

Tutorials on Lit. Review

Primary, Sec. & Tertiary Sources

Primary sources are original materials/information on which other research is based. They include:

  • Theses
  • Journal articles (e.g. Clinical research)
  • Conferences
  • Reports
  • Patents
  • Data sets

Secondary sources analyses, evaluates, interprets or summarizes information reported by researchers in the primary literature. These include:

  • Article Reviews
  • Review Journals
  • Book series
  • Data Compilations
  • Article Indexes/Databases

Tertiary sources consist of primary and secondary source information which has been collected and distilled. Some examples:

  • Reference books
  • Textbooks
  • Encyclopedias