Intro to College Research

Watch this video to learn about popular and scholarly sources and how each type of source can be used in your research. 

Articles are written for the general public by professional writers or journalists. They are generally short and provide a broad overview of a topic rather than in-depth analysis. 

Charateristics: 

• not peer-reviewed
• covers current events & pop culture
• usually short articles
• author not generally listed 
• does not cite sources 

Written by: 

• Journalists, freelance writers or publication staff 

Written for: 

• General public 

Published by: 

• Mostly commercial companies

Articles focused on a specific field written by someone who has the education and experience to be considered an authority. These articles may or may not be peer-reviewed. 

Characteristics: 

• sometimes peer-reviewed
• reports on developments/trends in the discipline/industry
• usually shorter in length
• uses field language 
• author credentials may be provided 
• often cites sources, but not many 

Written by:

• Scholars or professionals who have education and experience in the field

Written for: 

• Academic and professional community

Published by: 

• Professional associations, foundations

Articles that present in-depth, original research and commentary on current developments within a specific field. These articles have been written by scholars in the field and reviewed by other scholars in the field for scholastic standards and validity. 

Characteristics: 

• peer-reviewed
• contains original research 
• lengthy with in-depth analysis
• uses scholarly/technical language 
• author credentials provided 
• cites a long list of sources 
• often times an abstract is provided 

Written by: 

• Scholars or researchers in the field who usually have an advanced degree (PhD and/or Master's) 

Written for:

• Academic community 

Published by: 

• Scholarly societies or associations or by academic presses