Here are some criteria for evaluating if a research article is primary or secondary:
Primary:
- Consists of original studies conducted by the authors
- Includes: controlled trials, cohort studies, case studies
- Includes: methods, results, tables, figures
Secondary:
- Consists of assimilated evidence from a number of high-quality primary studies
- Includes: systematic review, meta-analyses, evidence summaries
- May include: methods as a literature review, cited tables, and results from other studies
