1. Locating your primary source using
your secondary source:
Tips on completing the assignment for
BIOL 1051
By: Jeanne Hoover

2. Locate your secondary source:
 Look in print or online magazines or newspapers.
Most websites like CNN have a
Science/Technology section.
 Find an article that interests you.
 Print or save a copy of it to refer to later

3. I used BBC News –Science and Environment
Section

4. You have your Secondary Source, now what?
 Read the article and highlight keywords
 Look for the name of the journal where the primary
source is published
 Look for the names of the primary source article’s
authors (if you want that original article).
 Look for some key phrases that explain the study
 This will help you find the exact article OR locate a
different article on a similar topic.
 Move to the next slide to see an example from BBC
News:

6. Here are some key ideas to take away from
the article:
 Primary source is published in Scientific Reports
 The study is about a new hybrid grass
 The hybrid grass is part lollium perenne and festuca
pratensis
 Co-author is Kit Macleod
 The grass helps reduce run-off

7. Choose a few keywords to use as search
terms.

8. Here is the full-text of the primary source
article

9. Recap:
 Find a secondary source through news or magazine websites.
You can also use a database and limit your search results to
magazines.
 Highlight keywords or ideas from the article
 Highlight any author names or publication titles
 Use your search terms in an appropriate database to locate the
following:
 The original article (primary source) that your secondary source
talks about
 An original article (primary source) on a similar topic