What is a Primary source? A primary source includes documents or artifacts created by a witness to or participant in an event. They can be firsthand testimony or evidence created during the time period that you are studying. Primary sources may include diaries, letters, interviews, oral histories, photographs, newspaper articles, government documents, poems, novels, plays, pieces of art and music. The collection and analysis of primary sources is central to historical research.
What is a Secondary Source? A secondary source interprets, assigns value to, or draws conclusions about events reported in primary sources. These are usually in the form of published works such as journal articles or books, but can also include radio or television documentaries, histories, biographies, literary criticism, reviews of law and legislation, political analyses, and commentaries.
Quantitative research is a methodology that relies on the exploration of numerical patterns, and it can be precisely measured. Using scientific inquiry, quantitative research relies on data that are observed or measured to examine research questions. Randomized Controlled Trials (RCT), Systematic Reviews, and Meta-Analysis are all examples of Quantitative research.
Qualitative research refers to any research based on something that is impossible to accurately and precisely measure. It focuses on the "why" rather than the "what" and relies on the direct experiences of human beings as meaning-making agents in their every day lives. Case studies, Ethnography, Grounded Theory, Narrative Studies or Focus Groups, are all examples of Qualitative research.
The best way to find quantitative and/or qualitative articles in either PubMed or CINAHL is to search by publication type.
For quantitative articles, select Randomized Controlled Trials (RCT), Systematic Reviews, or Meta-Analysis in either CINAHL or PubMed.
For qualitative, search for Case Studies, Observational, Personal Narratives in PubMed, and Anecdote, Case Study, Editorial, Interview, Meta Synthesis in CINAHL.
You can also search both PubMed and CINAHL using 'quantitive' or 'qualitative' as part of your keyword search, but it's usually more effective to look for a specific publication type.
Primary research in nursing is one that reports the original findings of a study or experiment. It is usually written by the person(s) conducting the research, and is often found in peer reviewed journals.
Sources of primary research include:
Case studies
Clinical trials or randomized clinical trials (RCT)
Cohort studies
Dissertations or theses
Survey research
Secondary Research is one that summarizes, synthesizes or comments on original research. The Author(s) describe research done by others.
Sources of secondary research include:
Clinical practice guidelines
Meta-analysis
Patient education material
Reviews of literature
Systematic reviews
To find primary research in PubMed and CINAHL, you'll need to filter by article type. Trying searching for Clinical Trials, Randomized Controlled Trials, or Case Study/Reports in either database to find primary research.