A primary source is the original object or document. Primary sources include first-hand reports and original creations (diaries, interviews, art) as well as experimental results (from clinical trials, experiments, scientific discoveries).
A secondary source reports on or analyzes a primary source. Secondary sources include reviews and interpretations of primary sources.
Watch this video from Edmonds Community College Library:
Scientific Primary Sources
Using Boolean Logic to Focus Your Search Results
Using Controlled Vocabulary (3:53 min)
PubMed
Free database from the National Library of Medicine. Includes links to full text including about 30% of articles published in the last five years. Contains over 25 million citations to biomedical articles. One of over 110 freely available databases from the National Library of Medicine.
Essential for pharmacists.
Interactive Tutorials: PubMed Tutorial The Basics of Medical Subject Headings Searching Drugs of Chemicals in PubMed *Essential for pharmacy students
All PubMed Tutorials from the National Library of Medicine
Cochrane Library
Medical indexing/full-text database that provide systematic reviews, controlled trials, methodology register, reviews of effects, health technology assessment and economic evaluations.
Cochrane Systematic Reviews are considered the gold standard in Evidence Based Practice.
Cochrane Tutorials webpage
How to Use MeSH in the Cochrane Library (8:29) Types of Reviews (10 min.) Forest Plots (6 min)