Library:WD/ScholarlyCommunication/WhatIsSecondaryLiterature

Secondary literature

When other writers summarize or review the theories and results of original scientific research, their publications are known as Secondary Literature. These publication types serve to synthesize the findings to date and present the ideas to a wider audience. Examples of secondary literature include:

• Review articles
• Edited volumes
• Books summarizing research in an area
• Abstracts and Indexes - Tools used to find articles in scholarly journals

Secondary literature is not as current as the primary literature but it is often more descriptive and is useful for finding introductory material.