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STS3790 - Issues of Science and Technology in Global Development: Compare Types of Sources

Question to think about

What kinds of sources will best fit the needs of your essay assignment, and why?

Scholarly vs Popular Publications

CRITERIA

SCHOLARLY PUBLICATIONS

POPULAR PUBLICATIONS
(e.g. magazines, newspapers, etc...)

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;
seldom contain glossy pages or pictures

often slick and glossy;
will contain photographs, illustrations and/or drawings

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
original research to the scholarly world

to entertain, inform, or persuade

Sources

footnotes and/or bibliographies

rarely cite any sources

Media/Popular Sources

Includes:
• News articles
• Opinion pieces
• Regurgitated primary information that has been reprocessed for popular consumption
 
 
Example: Scientific American
cover art

Scholarly Sources

Includes:
• original research
• Academic author(s)
• Content that includes discipline specific language
 
Example: The gene revolution : GM crops and unequal development / edited by Sakiko Fukuda-Parr.

cover art

Types of Sources and Evaluation of Sources

Elements of A Scholarly Journal Article

Reference: Title, Authors, Source

AbstractInformative

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

Peer Review Process

Scrutinizing science: Peer review. Retrieved September 14, 2018, from https://undsci.berkeley.edu/article/howscienceworks_16

Peer Reviewed Articles

What is peer-reviewed?

    Peer-reviewed or refereed articles are articles that have gone through a vigorous process of approval by a panel of experts in that particular field before publication. Through this process of selection, the idea is that these articles are considered credible sources of information and the best in the field.       

 

How to identify a peer-reviewed article?

    To identify if an article is peer reviewed or referred you must check if the journal that the article is published in is peer-reviewed. The link provided demonstrates the steps neccessary to identify if a journal is peer reviewed by using Ulrich's International Periodical Directory.