Your assignment may require you to use different source types.Your goal is to learn all that you can about source types in the allotted time and then to teach your classmates what you’ve learned.
There are many source types and your time is limited, so focus on magazines and academic journals.
Explore the recommended resources and add to what you already know about source types.
Identifying the type of source you are using can help in evaluating the source.
With any research project you should consult and compare multiple sources. One reason to do this is to compare the information you find. Another reason is to overcome the shortcomings of a source by using another source type. For example, you may find a newspaper article which provides relevant and timely facts on your topic. However, the newspaper article is short and offers limited information and no analysis. Using a more in-depth source like a book or journal article will help you balance your research.
Below are some identifying features of popular and scholarly periodicals. Note that sources occur on a popular/scholarly continuum. Some sources are clearly popular or scholarly while others have mixed features. Determining a source's popular or scholarly orientation will help you evaluate its appropriateness for your research purpose. For example, using some popular sources may work for an introductory undergraduate project, while all scholarly sources may be required for more advanced work, especially in a student's major field of study.
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Popular Periodicals--Magazines |
Scholarly Periodicals---Academic Journals |
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Written by journalists |
Written by experts in their field |
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Reviewed by an editorial staff |
Often reviewed by peers within the discipline |
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Purpose to inform, persuade, or entertain |
Purpose to present research findings, in-depth studies |
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General audience |
More educated or professional audience |
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Language aimed at a general audience |
May use vocabulary specific to the field |
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Tone varies (serious, humorous, satirical, etc.) |
Tone serious |
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No bibliography or works cited |
Bibliography or works cited for articles |
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Contain many photographs, illustrations, drawings |
Few graphics, many charts and graphs |
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Extensive advertising |
Selective advertising |
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Articles usually short (1-5 pages) |
Articles usually longer |
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Examples: Time, Cosmopolitan, New Republic |
Examples: Journal of Psychology, Comparative Literature, Journal of Political Marketing |
Examine the resources linked below. Is the resource a magazine or an academic journal? How can you tell? How might each of these sources contribute to a research paper on the topic of political satire?
Lichtenstein, Dennis, et al. “Jokers or Journalists? A Study of Satirists’ Motivations, Role Orientations, and Understanding of Satire.” Journalism Studies, vol. 22, no. 13, Oct. 2021, pp. 1756–74. EBSCOhost, https://doi.org/10.1080/1461670X.2021.1952476.
Block, Alex Ben. “Funnier Than Thou.” Television Week, 22 Mar. 2004, p. 8. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=keh&AN=12729328&site=ehost-live.
Ödmark, Sara, and Jonas Harvard. “The Democratic Roles of Satirists.” Popular Communication, vol. 19, no. 4, 2021, pp. 281–94, EBSCOhost, https://doi.org/10.1080/15405702.2021.1929995
Databases will often help you identify source types. Navigate to the library's home page and search using Quick Search.
The Research 101 guide has more information on source types.