Step 3. Evaluate Analyze information and sources
Web Sites | Primary v Secondary Sources | Types of Periodicals
Newspapers
- Appearance: Generally printed on newsprint in black ink.
- Audience: Written for the general public.
- Author/Authority: Articles written by staff writers and freelance journalists.
- Citations: Will sometimes cite sources, a scholar, or a freelance writer.
- Content: Includes current events and special features.
- Frequency: Usually published daily or weekly.
- Examples: Charlotte Observer , New
York Times, Wall
Street Journal
General Interest
- Appearance: Generally attractive and are often illustrated with color
photographs.
- Audience: Written for the general public.
- Author/Authority: Articles written by staff writers.
- Citations: Will sometimes cite sources, a scholar, or a freelance writer.
- Content: Includes current events and special features.
- Frequency: Usually published weekly or monthly.
- Examples: Economist, Scientific
American, Time
Popular
- Appearance: Often attractive and include plenty of photographs, drawings,
etc.
- Audience: Articles are usually short and written in simple language.
- Author/Authority: Articles written by staff writers and freelance journalists.
- Citations: Rarely cite sources.
- Content: Includes articles for entertainment and personal interests.
- Frequency: Usually published weekly or monthly.
- Examples: Motor
Trend, People, Sports
Illustrated
Trade
- Appearance: Generally attractive and are often illustrated with color
photographs.
- Audience: Written for industry professionals.
- Author/Authority: Articles written by staff writers, though the magazine
may sometimes accept articles from industry professionals.
- Citations: Occasionally list references at the end of the article or provide
footnotes within the text.
- Content: Includes current events and special features within a particular
profession or industry.
- Frequency: Usually published biweekly or monthly.
- Examples: Advertising
Age, Chocolatier, Convene, Nation’s
Restaurant News
Academic Journals (also called Scholarly, Refereed or Peer-Reviewed
journals)
- Appearance: Generally have a sober, serious look. May contain graphs and
charts, but few glossy pages or photographs. Use scholarly language with vocabulary
specific to their profession or field.
- Audience: Written for academics and professionals.
- Author/Authority: Articles written by researchers or scholars in the field
who report the results of original research.
- Frequency: Usually published bimonthly or quarterly.
- Citations: Articles include footnotes and a list of citations at the end
of the article.
- Content: Includes scholarly research for a particular profession or industry.
- Examples: Journal
of Food Safety, JMR,
Journal of Marketing Research, Criminal
Justice & Policy Review
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