How to easily tell if an article will be worth reading?
Read the Abstract (summary) and the Introduction/Conclusion ONLY. These areas will easily summarize the points of the article and help you determine if it's relevant to your research interests :-)
Once you have decided, you can read the article for the evidence, theories, ideas, and inspiration you need!
Always ask a Librarian if you are having trouble!
Primary Sources | Secondary Sources | Tertiary Sources |
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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. |
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Scholarly Sources (like academic articles & book chapters) | Popular Sources (like blogs, newspapers, & magazines) |
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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 |