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Santa Clara UniversityUniversity Library

ENGL 20: Introduction to Rhetoric (Medina)

This guide supports ENGL 20 students for winter quarter 2025.

Types of Articles

If you need... Try using...
Expert evidence Scholarly articles, books, and statistical data
Public or individual opinion on an issue Newspapers, magazines, and websites
Basic facts about an event Newspapers, books, encyclopedia (for older and well-known events)
Eye-witness accounts Newspapers, primary source books, social media (for current events)
A general overview of a topic Books or encyclopedias
Information about a very recent topic Websites, newspapers, magazines, and social media
Local information Newspapers, websites, and books
Information from professionals working in the field             Trade or professional publications

Scholarly Sources

Scholarly Sources can refer to peer-reviewed journal articles or academic books.

Covers very specific topics or narrow fields of research. 

The content is written by experts in a particular field of study -

Purpose: Sharing original research or analyzing others' findings.

Cites all source materials used and is usually subject to "peer review" prior to publication. 

Primary audience: Fellow experts and students studying the field.

Content: Sophisticated and advanced compared to articles found in general magazines, or professional/trade journals.

Remember! Scholarly work is: 

  • Written by experts for experts
  • Based on original research or intellectual inquiry
  • Provides citations for all sources used
  • Is usually peer-reviewed prior to publication

Here is an interactive resource from North Carolina State University Libraries 

Click the link to view aspects of a scholarly articles Anatomy of a Scholarly Article . 

Source: libncsu. (2014, May 1). Peer review in 3 minutes. YouTube. Retrieved January 8, 2023, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOCQZ7QnoN0&t=1s

 

Primary sources are first-hand evidence related to the time or event you are researching. This includes accounts by participants or observers and a wide range of written, physical, audio or visual materials created at the time or later by someone with direct experience.

In the sciences and social sciences, primary sources or 'primary research' are original research experiments, studies, or observations written about by the researchers themselves.

Source: YouTube. (2017, October 17). Primary and secondary sources. YouTube. Retrieved January 17, 2023, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzlONZDM1Pg

Secondary Sources 

  • describe or analyze primary sources.
  • Include reviews, and books, and articles that interpret, review, or synthesize original research.

 

 

Source: OUlearn. (2016, December 19). What is a secondary source? (3/3). YouTube. Retrieved January 8, 2023, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9B24sAvAzLg

The definition of a credible source can change depending on the discipline, but in general, for academic writing, a credible source is one that is unbiased and is backed up with evidence. When writing a research paper, always use and cite credible sources. Use this checklist to determine if an article is credible or not:

  • Is the source in-depth (more than a page or two), with an abstract, a reference list, and documented research or data?
  • Who is the audience (researchers, professors, students, general population, professionals in a specific field)?
  • What is the purpose of the source (provide information or report original research or experiments, to entertain or persuade the general public, or provide news or information specific to a trade or industry)?
  • Who are the authors? Are they respected and well-known in the field? Are they easily identifiable? Have they written about other similar topics? What are their credentials?
  • Is the source reputable? Is it published on a reputable, non-biased web site, or in a peer-reviewed, scholarly journal, and not from a newspaper, blog, or wiki?
  • Is the source current for your topic?
  • Is there supporting documentation (graphs, charts, illustrations or other supporting documentation)?

Where does your source come from?

  • government or military (.gov or .mil) - Government or military websites end in .gov or .mil, and in general are reliable sources on the web. However, beware of political sites used to sway public opinion.
  • university (.edu) - University web sites end in .edu, and are usually reliable. Use these sites with caution, checking for credibility and authority.
  • company website (.com) - Company web sites generally end in .com. These sites are great for information about a particular company. However be aware that company websites are used to promote, so be sure the information is non-biased.
  • special interest (.org) - While many professional organizations end in .org, there are also many .orgs that are biased and promote a specific agenda.

Peer Reviewed Articles

  • Expert Evaluation: Peer-reviewed articles are evaluated by experts in the field before being published. These experts review the research for accuracy, quality, and relevance to ensure the findings are reliable.

  • Credibility and Trustworthiness: Because they undergo rigorous scrutiny, peer-reviewed articles are considered more credible and trustworthy compared to non-peer-reviewed sources, such as blogs or opinion pieces.

  • Improves Research Quality: The peer review process helps improve the quality of the research by identifying flaws, suggesting improvements, and ensuring that the methodology and conclusions are sound.