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FYS 100 -- Global Goals 2030: About Authoritative Sources

S vs P

Characteristics Scholarly Journal Popular Magazine

Length

 Articles are usually 10 pages or more in length; providing in-depth analysis of topics Shorter articles (less than 10 pages), providing broader overview of topics
Written by Author usually an expert or specialist in the field, name and credentials always provided Author usually a journalist or a staff writer, name and credentials often not provided
Language / Written for Written in technical language for professors, researchers, students of the field Written at high school level for the general public
Coverage Original research results and scholarship Popular topics and current events
Slant Supposed to present objective/neutral viewpoint May reflect the editorial bias/slant of the magazine
Frequency Usually quarterly Usually weekly
Format / Structure Articles usually structured, may include: abstract, literature review, methodology, results, conclusion, bibliography Articles do not necessarily follow a specific format or structure
Special Features Illustrations that support the text, such as, tables of statistics, graphs, diagrams, maps, or photographs Illustrations with glossy paper or color photographs
Appearance Serious and sober, with few colors and few or no advertisements Glossy, with pictures and advertisements
Editors Articles usually reviewed and critically evaluated by a board of experts in the field (known as refereed or peer-reviewed) Articles are not reviewed by experts in the field, but by editors on staff
References Cited Usually includes a bibliography and/or footnotes Usually has no bibliography or footnotes
Examples

Ecology

Social Science Quarterly

American Political Science Review

Time

Sports Illustrated

Scientific American

 

The meaning of peer-review

A video from the North Carolina State Universities Libraries

Evaluating Information

When it comes to information that you find online that's not a journal or magazine, how do you evaluate it? Here are some ways to evaluate sources.

  1. SIFT  (Stop, Investigate the Source, Find Better Coverage, Trace Claims, Quotes, and Media to the Original Context)
    Introductory Video Investigate the Source Find the Original Source Look for Trusted Work
  2. Use the CRAAP test: 
    Currency Relevance Authority Accuracy Purpose
  3. 5 Ws (and sometimes H)
    Who What When Where Why How
  4. Where is it coming from? Sites like .edu, .gov, .org are generally more reliable than .com (often with a marketing bias)