The writing assignments in this class require you to use specific types of resources in your research. Not everything you find online will meet the requirements of these assignments. This page will help guide you through the process of identifying the "type" of resource you have found to determine whether it meets the criteria of your assignment.
You can use the Resource Identification Chart in the next section for further help identifying different types of resources.
| Academic Articles | Trade Articles | Magazine Articles | News Articles | Blogs | Webpages | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| What are they? | Articles that present findings from researchers in a specific field. | Articles that focus on a particular industry, trade or profession. | Articles that focus on an area of interest; the scope can be general or specific. | Articles that share news on current events or on results of investigative journalism. | Online-only sources comprised of a series of dated, sequential posts. | Online-only sources that can be on any topic in a wide variety of formats. |
| Where can I find them? | Academic Journal (print and/or online) | Trade or Industry Journal (print and/or online) | Popular Magazine (print and/or online) | Newspaper or News Site (print and/or online) | Online. | Online. |
| Who writes them? | Researchers in a specific field. Often their institutional affiliation will be listed on the article. | Experts in a specific profession or industry. | Professional writers, experts, and/or reporters. Can be employed by the publication or freelance. | Professional reporters and writers. | Anyone. | Anyone. |
| Who is the target audience? | Scholars. | Professionals within the same industry. | General audience. | General audience. | General audience. | General audience. |
| How are they reviewed before publication? | Most reviewed by a group of experts in the same field as the article to establish that it meets established standards for scholarly research. Also reviewed by editors. | Reviewed by editors to ensure content and quality are consistent with standards for the publication.. | Reviewed by editors to ensure content and quality are consistent with standards for the publication. | Reviewed by editors to ensure content and quality are consistent with standards for the publication. | May or may not have a review process. | May or may not have a review process. |
| Do they include citations to the sources they use? | Always includes citations, formatted using a formal citation style. Typically as a Bibliography or Works Cited list at the end. | May mention sources, but rarely formally formatted. | May mention sources, but rarely formally formatted. | May mention sources, but rarely formally formatted. | May mention sources, but rarely formally formatted. | May mention sources, but rarely formally formatted. |
| How long are they? | Generally longer than other articles. Always multiple pages, but length varies. | Generally short: can be shorter than a page or as long as a few pages. | Generally short: can be shorter than a page or as long as a few pages. | Generally short: can be shorter than a page or as long as a few pages. | No standard length. | No standard length. |
| Do they include images? | No decorative images; may contain charts or graphs and images are typically in black and white. | Often include color photos and other images. May include advertisements. | Almost always include color photos, other images, and advertisements. | May include photos or advertisements. | May include photos or advertisements. | May include photos or advertisements. |
| When can I use them in Writing Assignments? | Counts toward requirement for both Writing Assignments 1 & 2 | Counts toward requirement for Writing Assignment 1. | Counts toward requirement for Writing Assignment 1. | Counts toward requirement for Writing Assignment 1. | Does not count for either Writing Assignment. | Does not count for either Writing Assignment. |
