Types of Articles
As a student researcher, you will use many different source types in writing your research assignments. The resources on this page will introduce you to the different types of sources available through the library and beyond. If you get stuck, be sure to ask for help!
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Scholarly Journals |
Popular Magazines |
Trade Publications |
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| Author | Experts in the field covered (scholar, professor, researcher, etc.). Authors are always named. | Journalist; non-professional or layperson. Sometimes the author is not named. | Business or industry representative. Sometimes the author is not named. |
| Contents | News and research from the field (methodology, theory). | Current events; general interest. | Business or industry information (trends, products, techniques). |
| Style | Written for experts using technical language. | Journalistic; written for non-professional or layperson. | Written for people in the business or industry using technical language. |
| Audience | Scholars or researchers in the field. | General public. | People in the business or industry. |
| Review | Usually reviewed by peer scholars (referees) not employed by the journal. | Reviewed by one or more editors employed by the magazine. | Reviewed by one or more editors employed by the publication. |
| Attribution & References | Usually includes notes and/or bibliographic references. | Few or no notes or bibliographic references. Relies on contextual referrals to other works. | Few or no notes or bibliographic references. Relies on contextual referrals to other works. |
- Types of Sources TableDownload an accessible PDF copy of the table above.
Evaluating Sources
Not sure if the article, book, or other source you found will work for your assignment? Use the video below to apply the ACT UP method to evaluate the source.
ACT UP Source Evaluation from UCSB Library on Vimeo.
Learn More About Primay Sources
Primary source materials are different depending on the field of study. Always check with your instructor if you are not sure what they mean by "primary source." The provided videos may help you learn the differences more readily!
- What is a Primary Source4-minute video from NCSU Libraries showing Sciences & Engineering, Social Sciences, and Arts & Humanities primary source examples.
- Primary SourcesThis video from the Stanford Libraries talks about what primary sources look like in the Arts & Humanities. Watch until 2:30 for the informative pieces (beyond that the video is still good, but focused on Stanford's special research collections.)
- SourcesThis video from UBC Writing Center will take you through different source types in the sciences. For more information on primary sources in the sciences, please visit the UBC Science Writing Resources site.
Learning About Peer Review
In many cases, professors or instructors will require that students use articles from “peer-reviewed” journals or "scholarly" journals. But what are peer-reviewed (or scholarly) journal articles, and how can you identify them?
This interactive tutorial should take approximately 20 minutes. By the end, you will be able to articulate what peer-review is and identify peer-reviewed sources.