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EMSC 100S Climate Change and Climate Justice in Frontline Communities

Research guide for the course EMSC 100S taught by Greg Jenkins

Source Types

All sources can provide helpful context or information depending on your goals. It's important to know what type of source you are referencing, and this table is a handy tool to help you identify what you are working with:
Primary Sources Secondary Sources Tertiary Sources
Present original research in its original form. ABOUT primary sources Compile information from primary or secondary sources that become widely accepted
Present new thinking/ discoveries/ results (adds to the field) Generalize, interpret, analyze or otherwise "add value" to original info.
  • Textbooks
  • Dictionaries and encyclopedias
  • Handbooks
  • Academic articles (with original research)
  • Policies, government documents
  • Maps and data
  • Technical reports
  • Academic articles (literature reviews, etc)
  • Indexes
  • Review articles

 

Popular vs Scholarly

 
Scholarly Sources (like academic articles & book chapters) Popular Sources (like blogs, newspapers, & magazines)
Longer articles with in-depth analysis Shorter articles, with broader views of topics
Written by an expert or specialist in a field (credentials ALWAYS provided) Author credentials not always provided
More structured (abstract, lit review, methods, results, etc) Articles do not follow a specific format or structure
Few illustrations; more graphs and data images Attractive illustrations and images for advertising
Peer-reviewed Evaluated by editors, NOT experts in the field
Bibliography and/or footnotes always provided Sources or bibliography usually not provided