Types of Sources
| PUBLICATION TYPE → |
SCHOLARLY JOURNALS
|
GENERAL INTEREST
|
POPULAR MAGAZINES
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Share research & findings | Inform an educated audience | Entertain or sell |
| Authors | Experts or scholars | Journalists or professionals | Freelance or staff writers |
| Publication process | Peer review or editor review | Editor review and fact checking | Editor review; fact checking varies |
| Language | Technical & academic | Accessible but informed | Casual and simple |
| Sources | Always cited & referenced | Often attribute sources (named experts, organizations, in-text links); sometimes cited | Rarely cited |
| Examples | JAMA Modern Fiction Studies Journal of Communication |
Time The Economist Scientific American |
People Sports Illustrated US Weekly |
Web Native Resources
Born-Digital & Commonly Used Web Sources
Students often start with web-native sources. These can be useful at different stages of research; just evaluate their purpose, audience, and evidence.
- Wikipedia: Good for quick understanding and keywords; follow the references at the bottom to track scholarly sources. Use with care if citing directly—check page history and talk pages.
- Generative AI (e.g., ChatGPT): Helpful for brainstorming or outlining, but not a source of evidence. Verify all claims with reliable sources; cite the tool if you quote or rely on its wording/ideas per your required style.
- News websites: Good for current events and emerging topics. Red flags: sponsored content and “native ads” posing as articles.