Academic assignments may require a certain type(s) of source(s). Always double check before you actually begin your research.
Peer-reviewed sources are original research projects that scientists and researchers share and publish. These sources go through an extensive evaluation process by:
before they are published. You can access peer-reviewed sources through academic databases like EBSCOhost, JSTOR, and ProQuest.
Google Scholar is another place to find peer-reviewed sources
Peer-reviewed sources include, but aren't limited to:
EBSCOhost and ProQuest each have a special search filter for scholarly (peer-reviewed) articles.
However, JSTOR contains, like, 99% peer-reviewed sources, so there is no special search filter in this database.
Is there a difference between scholarly and peer-reviewed sources? Yes! It is important to understand the difference between these two types of sources. Students can easily misinterpret a source as scholarly when it really is not. Check out the scholarly vs popular sources table below to learn what makes them different.
When is it appropriate to use popular sources? That depends on your assignment and you instructor. Popular sources may be appropriate if your assignment topic is on a particular celebrity, movie, book, or other piece of popular culture. Always check with your instructor before using popular sources in your assignments!
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Scholarly Journals "Academic" or "Research" |
Popular Newspaper & Magazines "General" or "Journalistic" |
| Authors are named and usually affiliated with an institution. | Authors are potentially anonymous. |
| Authors are subject matter experts. | Authors are journalists. |
| Articles are peer-reviewed. | Articles are not peer-reviewed. |
| Citation lists are lengthy and extensive. | Citation lists are little to non-existent. |
| Advertisements are limited. | Advertisements are everywhere. |
| Articles are lengthy and very detailed. | Articles are shorter and focus on general points. |
| Issues are published on a less frequent basis (semi-annually, quarterly, monthly). | Issues are published frequently (daily, weekly, monthly). |
| Target audiences are professionals, academics, and students. | Target audiences are the general public. |
| Titles typically include words like bulletin, journal, or review. | Titles do not typically include words like bulletin, journal, or review. Except "The Wall Street Journal," which is not a scholarly publication. |
What are primary sources?
Primary sources are first-hand accounts. These sources did directly witness what happened or participate in an event. For example, witnesses create original documents like the Constitution or watched events like the Lindsey football team winning their first championship.
Check out the library's in-house archives and special collections department for primary sources for materials dating back to the 1860s!
What are secondary sources?
Secondary sources are second-hand accounts. These sources did not directly witness what happened or participate in an event. For example, visitors to the Corvette Museum learn about the sinkhole that happened there in 2014. They share their knowledge with friends and family because they learned about it *from a primary source*, which is the museum.
For additional information, check out this guide:
The Library has two departments with resources available that are considered primary sources.
1) Archives & Special Collections
2) Government Documents
Katie Murrell Library is a congressionally designated depository for U.S. Government documents.
For assistance with Government Documents in the library, contact Allison Rea or click this link for the Government Documents Research Guide, which has more information on this department.
Open access journals (OAJs) are journals that are freely available on the internet. You don't need a special membership or subscription to access the research available in them. OAJs are usually peer-reviewed, so they are also a great spot to find peer-reviewed sources.
The Directory of Open Access Journals is a free, online database available to connect you with over 300 open access journals from around the world and in many subjects.
Here are some examples of subject-specific open access journals that you can use for your research!
Need one in a subject not listed here? Email the Library for assistance!
The 5Ws can help clear up confusion when trying to find trustworthy sources. Just remember to ask these questions while looking for credible information!
| WHO? |
Who wrote it? Are they an expert? Can you find more information on the author? |
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| WHAT? |
What is the purpose of this resource? What information is included-or excluded? |
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| WHERE? |
Where was this published? Where does the information come from? |
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| WHEN? |
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| WHY? |
Why is this resource useful? Why is this resource better than other ones? Why should you use the information here? |
Citation: Sarah Kantor. "Flushing the CRAAP Test.pdf" Atlanta Area Bibliographic Instruction Group (AABIG) (2018)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/sarah-kantor/2/
