Explanation:
Encyclopedias
Collections of brief, factual articles on various
Examples:
The Boston Globe
The New York Times
The Chronicle of Higher Education
Magazines
A collection of easy-to-read articles
Often has images and advertising
Articles written by journalists or staff writers.
NOT scholarly. Sometimes they are called "popular."
Usually very current information. Magazines often publish on a monthly or weekly basis.
Audience: the average adult reader; available at bookstores and newstands.
Examples:
Time
National Geographic
Sports Illustrated
Psychology Today
Consumer Reports
Prevention
Atlantic
Trade Magazines or Journals
A collection of articles on news, trends, and developments within a specific industry.
NOT scholarly.
Audience is workers within a specific profession.
Advertising is specific to the industry.
Most industries have trade journals. Some are published by trade associations.
Most are not available at newstands.
Journals
A collection of serious articles typically longer in length (10+ pages).
Little or no images or advertising.
Focused on a specific discipline such as medicine or art.
Written by researchers and experts in the discipline. They are called scholars.
Audience: other scholars or researchers in the same field. Usually found in libraries. Hardly ever available at a bookstore or newstand.
Based on other research so a lengthy list of references is included.
SCHOLARLY
also called peer-reviewed, academic, or refereed journals
Examples:
The New England Journal of Medicine
Nature
The Academy of Management Review
Scholarly/Peer-reviewed Sources
What is a scholarly/peer-reviewed source? How can I recognize one? Why should I use them? Where do I find them? Use this handout to help you understand and utilize scholarly/peer-reviewed sources.
Books
A nonfiction book either provides general information, a broad overview of a topic, or a deep analysis of a subject.
There are books on every topic.
Online (ebooks) or in print.
Students should look for books that bring together all the information on one topic to support a claim or thesis.
Books can be scholarly or popular.
How to identify scholarly books? Evaluate the author and the publisher.
Does the author hold a doctorate or teach at a university?
Has the author written other important books on the subject?
Did the author receive fellowships or grants to support the writing of the book?
Is the book published by a university press such as Johns Hopkins University Press?
