What kinds of sources will best fit the needs of your essay assignment, and why?
CRITERIA |
SCHOLARLY PUBLICATIONS |
POPULAR PUBLICATIONS |
Advertising |
may contain selective advertising |
will contain extensive advertising |
Authors & Audience |
written by and for academics or researchers |
written by staff or freelance writers for a broad audience |
Format & Graphics |
may include graphs and charts; |
often slick and glossy; |
Language |
may use discipline-specific language or jargon |
uses everyday language that is accessible to the average reader |
Length |
lengthy articles with in-depth coverage of topics |
shorter articles: usually provide broad overview of topics |
Publishers |
generally published by a professional organization |
published for profit |
Purpose |
to inform, report, or make available |
to entertain, inform, or persuade |
Sources |
footnotes and/or bibliographies |
rarely cite any sources |
Reference: Title, Authors, Source
Abstract – Informative
Introduction
Provides the background for the research (literature review)
States the thesis (usually toward the end of the intro)
Answers the question: why is this research being done?
Materials and methods
Subjects: experimental and control groups, tests run, and methods used.
Results
Tables and Figures
Conclusions
What the results mean in the framework of the research
Discussion
How does this research fit into the big picture?
Why is it important to the field?
Reference list
Usually extensive, and provides support and evidence for the research conducted and the statements made
Supporting information
repetitive experimental details or bulky data
Special format data or visualization
Scrutinizing science: Peer review. Retrieved September 14, 2018, from https://undsci.berkeley.edu/article/howscienceworks_16
What is peer-reviewed?
How to identify a peer-reviewed article?