First consider the purpose of your sources.
What do you hope to accomplish by using sources? Some common reasons you might use sources in your own work include:
you'll want to see if certain types of sources are required or recommended by your instructor. Some professors require you to use only scholarly peer-reviewed journals, primary sources, newspapers, or books from the library, while others might leave things more open-ended.
| If you need: | Try using: |
|---|---|
| Expert evidence | Scholarly articles, books, and statistical data |
| Public or individual opinion on an issue | Newspapers, magazines, and websites |
| Basic facts about an event | Newspapers, books, encyclopedias (for older and well-known events) |
| Eye-witness accounts | Newspapers, primary source books, web-based collection of primary sources |
| A general overview of a topic | Books or encyclopedias |
| Information about a very recent topic | Websites, newspapers, and magazines |
| Local information | Newspapers, websites, and books |
| Information from professionals working in the field | Professional/trade journals |
Scholarly article: written by an expert in the field and reviewed by peers in the field, include references and have an academic style.
Professional/trade article: published in trade or professional journals and written by experts in the field or by staff writers. These are mainly intended for professionals in a given field but are generally easier to read than most scholarly articles. While not considered 'scholarly,' they may still have useful information.
Popular journals: written for a general audience. These are usually called 'magazines'.
Primary source: created during the period being studied and provide first-hand evidence about an object, person, or event.
Secondary source: created some time after an event has happened and interpret or analyze information from primary sources.