Biology

When writing a research paper, ebooks can be a great scholarly resource, providing background information, as well as in-depth information on a topic. You can find ebooks in the UMGC library collection, or on the free web. Ebooks are included in OneSearch, which is available below and also from the Library home page. You can search by selecting Ebooks Only from the dropdown menu. 

The UMGC Library subscribes to other great ebook databases that cannot be found in this search. To search these collections you should go directly to the source. 

You can also find great ebook collections on the free web. Remember, when using material from the free web, it is important to evaluate what you find. 

When used appropriately, websites can add great value to your research reference list. Websites can provide valuable evidence to support a research topic, and can also provide background information, company or association information, and basic facts about a topic. When using websites, always evaluate what you find, to avoid bias and verify information.

How Can I Find Primary Research Articles?

Many of the recommended databases in this subject guide contain primary research articles (also known as empirical articles or research studies). Search in databases like ScienceDirect, MEDLINE, and Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition.

Primary Research Articles: How Will I Know One When I See One?

Primary Research Articles 
To conduct and publish an experiment or research study, an author or team of authors designs an experiment, gathers data, then analyzes the data and discusses the results of the experiment. A published experiment or research study will therefore look very different from other types of articles (newspaper stories, magazine articles, essays, etc.) found in our library databases. The following guidelines will help you recognize a primary research article, written by the researchers themselves and published in a scholarly journal.

Structure of a Primary Research Article
Typically, a primary research article has the following sections:

• Abstract
  • The author summarizes her article
• Introduction
  • The author discusses the general background of her research topic; often, she will present a literature review, that is, summarize what other experts have written on this particular research topic
• Methods
  • The author describes the study she designed and conducted
• Results
  • The author presents the data she gathered during her experiment
• Discussion
  • The author offers ideas about the importance and implications of her research findings, and speculates on future directions that similar research might take
• Literature Cited
  • The author gives a References list of sources she used in her paper

The structure of the article will often be clearly shown with headings: Introduction, Method, Results, Discussion.

A primary research article will almost always contains statistics, numerical data presented in tables. Also, primary research articles are written in very formal, very technical language.