Library:Research Skills For Engineering Students/Module 02/Page 06

Within engineering, primary sources report the findings of original research. They often describe a new theory or the results of experimental work.

Examples of primary sources include (but are not limited to):

Journal articles
Conference papers
Technical reports
Government publications
Patents
Theses/dissertations

Primary sources are often expected to form the bulk of the sources you incorporate into your report.

Within engineering, secondary sources review the existing literature, and often summarize, interpret, or evaluate the results found in primary sources. A familiar example of a secondary source is Wikipedia.

Examples of secondary sources include (but are not limited to):

Books
Review articles in journals
Standards
News reports
Handbooks
Manuals

Secondary sources are not as current as primary sources but are often useful for finding introductory material.