PHI 367 Resource Guide
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The nature of scientific research
Scientific literature, particularly medical literature, is unique. It is helpful to remember these two items on your research journey...
First, health science content is designed to be ALL THE THINGS: direct, focused, concise, clear, current, accurate, reliable, and reproducible. This is not to say that literature analyzing Victorian poetry conventions can not achieve these goals, however, the implications can be considered more serious with medical findings since they can impact health outcomes.
Second, health science content is typically tailored to a specific audience. Consumers of health science information drive the complexity of how the information is presented. Patients, educators, allied health & clinical professionals all process and require a varied scope of information. Some populations can be overwhelmed with specific research information and medical jargon while others rely on this level of intricacy to support the wellbeing of their patients.
Sources types in medical literature
There are a few categories of literature than can be valuable to your research based on your needs: Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Sources.
| Type of Source | Format / Research Examples |
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Primary Studies that present original research findings from the researcher who conducted the study |
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Secondary Summarizes, interprets, or analyzes a primary source; often provides an added value or context to the primary source |
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Tertiary Synthesize primary or secondary research primarily to present the information in an organized and easily accessible format |
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Video on health sciences literature
Check out this ZSR video for an overview on the nature of health science research and source types.
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