There are three types of sources: primary, secondary, and tertiary. Each source type has a different purpose, determined by how it is used in relation to the other sources you are using and the scope of your research. It is important to use a strong mixture of source types in order to have well rounded research.
Primary Source - The Original (idea, theory, resource, item, etc.)
Secondary Source - Commentary (analysis, criticism, critique) on the Original
Tertiary Source - Summary of the Original (e.g. Reference Resources)
Scholarly Journals, also known as Academic Journals, are written by scholars for scholars. Often these materials are peer-reviewed, or approved by a group of experts in the field prior to publication, but not all are peer-reviewed. To check this either search the publication website or use Ulrich's Web to determine if the Journal is peer-reviewed.
Authors: Scholars or Researchers
Publisher: University Press, Professional Association, Respected Institution
Audience: Scholars, Researchers, Practitioners
References: Formal Citations in a Citation Style (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.)
Style: Technical, with specific language related to the discipline.
Contains:
Check out Anatomy of a Scholarly Article for more information.
Examples:
Professional Journals or Trade Journals are written professionals working in a particular field about ways to better their industry, organization, or business.
Authors : Staff writers, practitioners, or experts in the field.
Publisher : Organization or institutions focused in a particular industry. Commonly reviewed by an editor, sometimes a board. Published weekly or monthly.
Audience : Practitioners, institutional workers, and professionals in a particular field.
References : Sometimes there are references, but not always. It is more common to find a short list of citations or references to reports.
Writing Style : Formal writing style often using jargon.
Contains:
Examples:
Popular publications generally focus around a topic, such a travel, cooking, or beauty, but there are no set parameters on what must be published. These are commonly leisure reading materials, but are often used to gather information on current events or information that has not yet been discussed in scholarly circles.
Authors : journalist or freelancers who are usually not experts in the field. The work is compiled by an editor.
Publisher : media groups, companies, organizations. Normally published weekly or monthly.
Audience : General Public
References: Usually None
Writing Style : Colloquial Language, Leisure Reading
Contains:
Examples:
A book can be scholarly or extracurricular, fiction or non-fiction, and physical, electronic, or aural. These materials are usually formed around a topic or storyline. They very in complexity.
Authors : Anyone.
Publisher : Any publisher (academic, “Big 5” publishers, small publishing house) or self published.
Audience : Anyone, but normally the author tries to appeal to a particular audience.
References : Depends on the type of book and the publisher's requirements. If scholarly citations will be required.
Writing Style : Usually used to meet the needs/fit a particular audience.
Contains:
Examples:
Used at a conference, symposium, or seminar alongside an oral presentation.
Authors : The individual/individuals hosting a session at a conference.
Publisher : The organization putting on the conference, or the conference itself.
Audience : Conference attendees
References : Need determined by conference administrators, but there are usually citations.
Writing Style : Professional/technical language and jargon familiar to conference goers.
**This is a type of Grey Literature**
Contains:
Examples:
A long essay that must be completed prior to the conferral of a degree. This is reviewed by a dissertation committee, normally made of faculty members from an institution of higher learning.
Authors: Graduate Student (Master or Doctoral)
Publisher: College or University
Audience: A dissertation committee, commonly made of faculty members but sometimes includes experts in the field.
References: Formal citations.
Style: Professional, technical, and specific to the field.
Contents:
Examples:
Grey Literature covers a wide range of resources that are produced by organizations and institutions outside of academic sector (college and universities). While most of these are produced by researchers and professional staff, they vary in their reliability and credibility.
Authors: Academics, Scholars, Researches, Practitioners, Students
Publisher: Businesses, Industry, Government, Non-Commercial Publications
Audience: Academics, Scholars, Researchers, Practitioners, General Public
References: Citations, not necessarily formal.
Style: Technical, Specific to the Field
Contents
Examples
A series of webpages housed under a single domain.
Authors : Anyone, including individuals, organizations, governments, and more.
Publisher : Anyone, including individuals, organizations, governments, and more.
Audience : Anyone, although some webpages can be private.
References : Not necessary or common, but may exist.
Writing Style : Varies based on the context and audience the creator(s) are intending to reach
Content:
Examples:
The creation and sharing of content online as a form of social networking.
Authors : Anyone. Some platforms have verification or certifications for their creator(s), for example health care professionals.
Publisher : Social Media Platform
Audience : Anyone
References : None required
Writing Style : colloquial
Contains:
Examples:
Newspapers are current event publications that are printed on a daily or weekly basis. Some newspapers cover a specific area or region, such as the Finger Lakes Times, while others can focus on events at a global scale, such as the New York Times International Edition.
Authors: Journalists, either freelance or employed by the company.
Publisher: Vary in size, from large news outlets to small proprietors. These serial publications go out on a daily or weekly basis.
Audience: General Public
References: No formal citations are used. There may be in-text citations used throughout an article.
Style: Easy readability.
Contents:
Examples:
Be sure to check out the following library guides:
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