LibGuides: Biology: Finding Primary Sources

Primary Sources

Once you have done some preliminary research using secondary sources and have fine-tuned your research question, it's time to explore the primary literature. In the sciences, primary sources typically report on original research studies and take the form of scholarly articles published in peer-reviewed journals (they are also sometimes referred to as "papers").

Use the box below to explore different places to locate primary sources.

Recommended Databases for Biology

BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES/AGRICULTURAL & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE DATABASE/MEDLINE
Search these 3 databases at the same time; a good way to start searching for primary literature about almost any topic in Biology.

MEDLINE This link opens in a new window
1809–present (with greater coverage beginning in the 1940s). One of the premier sources for bibliographic coverage of medicine, medical research, health care, molecular biology, physiological psychology, bioethics, and much more. Accessed through ProQuest.
PubMed This link opens in a new window
From the National Library of Medicine, the PubMed interface searches biomedical and life sciences literature from MEDLINE, PubMed Central, and NCBI Bookshelf. Look for the “Grinnell College” full text link.
BioOne Complete This link opens in a new window
Access to the full text of over 100 scholarly Biology journals from many different publishers. Coverage varies by title but is generally the current 5 to 10 years of issues.
ScienceDirect journals This link opens in a new window
Springer journals This link opens in a new window

ProQuest Central This link opens in a new window
Brings together dozens of full-text databases across all major subject areas, including Business, Education, Health and Medical, Humanities, Science and Technology, and the Social Sciences.
Google Scholar This link opens in a new window
Accesses the scholarly literature across many disciplines and sources: articles, theses, books, abstracts, and court opinions, from academic publishers, professional societies, online repositories, universities, and other websites. Includes links to resources subscribed to by Grinnell College.

bioRxiv.org
bioRxiv (pronounced "bio-archive") is a free online archive and distribution service for unpublished preprints in the life sciences. It is operated by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, a not-for-profit research and educational institution.

NOTE: Authors use the bioRxiv service to make their manuscripts available as “preprints” before certification by peer review, allowing other scientists to see, discuss, and comment on the findings immediately. Readers should therefore be aware that articles on bioRxiv have not been finalized by authors, might contain errors, and report information that has not yet been accepted or endorsed in any way by the scientific or medical community. Students, it's a good idea to check with your professor about their policy on using preprints.