Different Types of Articles
You might be asked by your instructor to find and use specific kinds of articles. Use this page to learn about different sources to help you decide when you should be using different types of sources in your research.
Types of Sources
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Example |
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| Audience | General Public |
| Author | Written by journalists with no subject expertise |
| Citations | Very few or none |
| Content | Current events, general interest articles |
| Purpose | To inform, entertain |
| Review Process | Editorial staff, usually with no background in the field |
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Example |
 |
| Audience | Professionals in a specific field |
| Author | Usually expert in a field, journalist with subject expertise |
| Citations | Some articles will have citations, but they are not required |
| Content | Articles about a certain industry |
| Purpose | To inform about current news, trends, and tools in an industry |
| Review Process | Editor who is usually an expert in the field |
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Example |
 |
| Audience | Academics, researchers |
| Author | Academics and researchers experts in their field |
| Citations | References required |
| Content | Research results/reports, reviews of research, book reviews |
| Purpose | To share with academic community |
| Review Process | Editorial board made up of other experts, many articles are peer-reviewed |
Primary Sources vs. Secondary Sources
| Primary Sources | Secondary Sources |
| Author conducted the research | Author did not conduct the research |
| Describes what was observed during the research | Summarizes, analyzes, or offers opinion on the research |
| Research papers, field data and lab notebooks, technical reports, and conference presentations | Scholarly review articles and most books, news, and popular magazine articles about science |
How Do Peer Reviewed Articles Get Published?
Watch this short video to learn more about the research publication process.