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ETHN 188: Seminar - Civil Rights & Anti-Colonial Movements (Hazard)

Course guide for ETHN 188 (spring 2023)

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

 

Popular Sources

Covers a wide range of sources, including newspapers and magazines.

Purpose: to inform a wide array of readers about issues of interest and are much more informal in tone and scope.

Examples: General news, business and entertainment publications such as Time MagazineBusiness WeeklyVanity Fair.

 

National GeographicScientific AmericanPsychology Today are types of special interest publications that are considered popular not specifically written for academic audience. 

 

Popular sources

  • Written by journalists or professional writers for a general audience.
  • Written in a language that is easy to understand by the general public.
  • Rarely have a bibliography - rather, they are fact-checked through the editorial process of the publication they appear in.
  • Don't assume prior knowledge of a subject area - very helpful to read if you don't know a lot about your topic. 
  • Source could include: argument, opinion, or analysis of an issue.