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ENGL-C1000 Mattos

Academic Reading and Writing

Information Cycle

The information cycle is the process through which information is produced, circulated, used, and changed in stages over time; it impacts the kinds of sources available on a topic.

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Reference Sources

  • "Use reference books (also called reference or background sources / resources) to get quick specific facts or information or an overview of a subject. Some examples of reference sources are: dictionaries, encyclopedias, bibliographies, almanacs, directories, atlases, and handbooks. These can be online or in print." (McKenzie, 2017). 
  • Reference sources can also point to scholarly sources in their list of references or suggested resources for further reading.

Example

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Scholarly Books

  • Scholarly books are written by experts for other experts and published by a university press or other academic publisher, and they also contain references to outside research.
  • Use scholarly books or book chapters when you need more depth on a topic.
  • Use the table of contents (near the front of the book) and the index (at the back of the book) to see if there are any chapters or particular pages that may discuss a particular aspect of your topic.

Example

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Trade and Popular Articles

Trade Articles

  • Trade magazine articles are focused on industry-related topics, practical advice, and news related to a profession.
  • May by written by experts in a certain industry but are not considered scholarly, as they share general news, trends, and opinions
  • They may also report about a research study, but you need to refer back to the study to get more detailed information.
  • May or may not reference or formally cite other sources
  • While they may have an editorial process, they are generally not peer-reviewed

Examples

Popular Articles

  • Popular articles include those from newspapers and magazines, which focus on current events and human interest stories; sometimes they may also report about a research study, but you need to refer back to the study to get more detailed information.
  • Typically written by journalists to entertain or inform a general audience
  • While there is an editorial process, they are not peer-reviewed

Example

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Scholarly Journal Articles

Scholarly Journal Articles

  • Scholarly journal articles report the results of a research study, such as an experiment, survey, focus group, film or literary analysis, etc.
  • Written by researchers or experts in a particular field
  • Use specialized vocabulary, have extensive citations, and are often but not always peer-reviewed

Example

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