Finding credible information resources for your assignments and projects can be challenging. You want your information to be accurate and from reputable sites and authors. This guide will help you to start looking at information sources with a more skillful eye.
Consider using a framework to guide your evaluation. Using frameworks to evaluate information sources helps you think critically about what you're reading. They give you a clear set of questions to ask like who wrote it, why it was published, and how reliable the evidence is, so you can decide whether a source is trustworthy and useful for your research. This is especially helpful when you're sorting through lots of different types of materials, from news articles to scholarly journals. Frameworks make it easier to compare sources and choose the ones that best support your ideas.
One such framework is called the CRAAP test.
True or CRAAP? by The Learning Portal/College Libraries Ontario. Reused under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
These general guidelines can help you tell the difference between popular magazines, trade publications, and scholarly journals. Keep in mind that not every source fits neatly into one category. If you're unsure whether a publication is suitable for your assignment, feel free to ask at the Research Help Desk or check with your instructor.
Criteria |
Popular Magazines |
Professional or Trade Magazines |
Academic/Scholarly Journals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intended Audience |
• general public |
• people working in the field • post-secondary students |
• researchers and academics • post-secondary students |
| Author(s) |
• staff journalists • freelance journalists or writers |
• people working in the field • freelance journalists or writers |
• academics and researchers in the field |
| Article Selection | • editor assigns and/or chooses articles | • editor assigns and/or chooses articles | • editorial board of researchers/academics • "peer review" or "referee" committee |
| Type of Research | • usually secondary reporting of research • some original research (general public concerns) |
• usually secondary reporting of research • some original research |
• mostly original research |
| Purpose | • provide general information or entertainment | • usually secondary reporting of research • some original research |
• mostly original research |
| References | • may mention sources in text, but no formal citations (i.e., bibliography) | • may have a short bibliography of references | • contain bibliographies, footnotes, endnotes, and/or works cited |
| Advertisements | • many general ads | • ads are usually related to the industry | • may promote upcoming conferences or publications • very few, if any, commercial advertisements |
| Appearance | • designed to be eye-catching and attractive, glossy pages, colourful pictures | • designed to be eye-catching and attractive, glossy pages, colourful pictures | • serious and plain-looking; few pictures; may have graphs/charts to illustrate concepts |
| Writing Style | • general language • informal writing style |
• includes terminology specific to the field • more formal writing style than popular magazines, but less formal than scholarly journals |
• full of terminology specific to the field • formal writing style |
| Examples | • Newsweek • National Geographic • Maclean's |
• Nursing BC • CA Magazine • Advertising Age |
• JAMA: Journal of the American Medical Association • International Review of Social History • Canadian Journal of Political Science |
When you're looking at a full-text article online, it can be harder to tell if it's scholarly—especially if you don’t have the whole journal in front of you. Here are some quick clues to help:
