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Types of Sources: Home/WLDC

Types of Sources Used in Research

Criteria Scholarly Popular Trade/Technical
Types Journals, Literature Reviews, Research Briefs, etc. Magazines, Blogs, Websites, Social Media, Multimedia, Newspapers, etc.   Journals, Professional Magazines, etc.
Audience Academic audience (students, professionals in the field, researchers) General Public Interested amateurs, professionals in the field
Author Written by scholar/expert in the field with a Degree in the area they are writing about Anyone Professional in the field, may or may not have a Degree
Language Specialized vocabulary, complex writing structure Non-technical, simple vocabulary and text structure accessible to most users (7th grade or below) Jargon and terminology used in the field, less complex than Scholarly sources
Peer Reviewed Usually No No
Publisher Professional organizations, research institutes, scholarly presses Commercial enterprises Professional associations and commercial enterprises
Purpose Report or argue theories Entertain, inform at macro level, promote viewpoint Report or Inform at trade/industry level

 

There are Three Kind of Sources:  Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Sources. Learn the Difference:

Sources to Avoid in Research

Some sources are neither credible nor scholarly and should not be used. Here are some features to look for:

  • No author/creator or date listed 
  • Report on other news (listed as wirefeed or newswire in databases).
  • Websites and magazines designed to sell or entertain (People, Glamour, Buzzfeed)
  • Sources written for K-12 students
  • Sources with significant political or social bias (see the bias chart)

Scholarly vs. Credible Source comparison

Scholarly:

  • Ongoing Conversations that build upon multiple viewpoints and research/statistics. 
  • Acknowledge multiple viewpoints.
  • Cite and engage with credible sources

Credible:

  • Don't always acknowledge the ongoing issue.
  • Written by journalists, professionals, observers for the general public.
  • Present as "truth" with one perspective.