Here is a breakdown of different forms of articles you may see while searching. You can begin to find which are reliable to use as your sources.
Criteria | Scholarly Journal | Popular Magazine | Trade Journal |
---|---|---|---|
Cover | |||
Audience | Academics and professionals | General public | People in the business |
Authors | Experts or specialists | Journalists, staff writers, or freelance writers. Paid. | Staff writers, industry specialists, or vendor representatives. |
Editorial Review |
Journal editorial board and peer reviewers. (See image below) |
Professional editors. | Professional editors. |
References / Works Cited | Almost always | Rarely | Sometimes |
Other Examples | Magazines, Newspapers(some), Social Media |
Before a scholarly article or book gets published, there is a process that has to happen before you can read it.
Fact: Something that can easily be confirmed through trusted sources, and is confirmable across many sources; facts are objectively true. Objective means it doesn't matter who you are or how you feel about the information: the reality of the fact doesn't change