Information sources are created in a variety of formats for different audiences & purposes. This section will introduce several common formats and show you how to identify them when searching for sources.
It is important to understand how scholars engage in scholarly conversations, over time and across subject disciplines. People have contributed new thoughts, ideas, discoveries and interpretations that build knowledge. The type of source utilized will vary depending on the purpose and audience of the information being shared.
Every topic has multiple perspectives because everything from opinion to data, as well as scholarly and non-academic sources, contribute to the body of knowledge on a subject to include the voices of experts, scholars and you.
How you use, create and share information is a task that requires skill and responsibility as you make your contributions to the scholarly conversations on your topic.
A reporting and recording of cultural and political happenings that keeps the general public informed of daily events, sports, and current news. Opinions and public commentaries can also be included.
A glossy compilation of informative, entertaining stories with unique themes intended for a specific interests—or lifestyles—from celebrities to gardening to gaming.
A collection of work-related articles that keep professionals up-to-date on the latest trends, breakthroughs and controversies in their field.
An scholarly journal is a periodical publication in which research articles relating to a particular academic discipline are published after being critically reviewed by experts in the subject.
A book or set of books giving information on many subjects or on many aspects of one subject. Some are intended as an entry point into research for a general audience, some provide detailed information. Most list relevant books and articles for further information on a topic.
A book in which the information presented is supported by clearly identified sources. Sometimes each chapter has a different author, and the editor pulls them all together into a whole. Often these types of books have a narrow and specific focus.
Books may count as academic sources, but many do not. Textbooks, encyclopedias, and books published for commercial audiences often do not count as academic.
"Peer review" is the editorial process that scholarly articles go through before they are published in a journal. Since not all books go through the same editorial process before publication, most aren't peer reviewed. They can be still be good scholarly sources though.
Consider these questions when you're deciding if a book is academic or not:
