In the sciences, primary research (also called primary literature) is research that has collected original data, and the results are reported most often through scholarly journal articles

Peer reviewed sources are those that have been vetted by scholars in a given field. For example, before a peer reviewed, or refereed, journal will publish an article, it is first sent to a handful of scholars in that field to conduct a blind review. They will often return the article with suggestions for improvement before recommending that the journal publish the article. This is considerably different than popular magazines and other sources that do not employ such rigorous publishing standards. The result is a higher level of scholarship than might otherwise be published.

Video from North Carolina State University Libraries

Many of our library journal databases offer the ability to limit to peer reviewed sources. Use this option when you search databases to find scholarly articles.