Provides a comprehensive overview of various sources utilized in research, including academic books, encyclopedias, websites, peer-reviewed journals, popular magazines, newspapers, and the role of Wikipedia, with guidance on accessing further assistance and scheduling research consultations.
Transcript
Welcome researchers!
In this video, we will review the different information sources that you may encounter during your research and learn how we can use them throughout the research process.
This will help for upcoming English 102 assignments and for all your future research here at UNLV.
Scholarly Journals
Scholarly journals are publications focused on specific research areas.
Both the authors and audience are often professors or specialists in the field.
The content can be dense and filled with technical jargon.
Given its specific audience, it’s completely normal to find some of these sources hard to read at first.
They weren’t written with everyone in mind!
Scholarly journals almost always reference and cite other scholarly sources.
The content goes through an editorial review process called peer review.
This means that other experts in the field assess the quality of the research.
It can take anywhere from 4-12 months to go from final draft to publication.
You can use the expert research found in scholarly journals to deepen your understanding of a topic.
Popular Magazines and Newspapers
Popular magazines and newspapers are publications that provide information and present current events.
The content is written by journalists trained to investigate and report on a given topic.
These journalists ideally follow a code of ethics.
These media sources have many ways to cite, and it won’t always look like a Works Cited or References page.
For instance, popular magazines will sometimes reference interviews or outside sources, but the reference can be informal.
A newspaper provides similar references, but often does so more formally.
Professional editors review and revise the material for both magazines and newspapers before publication.
Since they publish regularly, popular magazines and newspapers can be used to track the latest developments on a topic as they are happening.
Academic Books and Encyclopedias
Academic books and encyclopedias are publications on multiple topics.
They are written by experts or specialists with advanced degrees.
Like a scholarly journal, they almost always say where their information comes from, and that information is often from other scholarly sources.
Professional editors conduct the quality control of the material, and it could be 1 or more years to publish a final draft or manuscript.
Academic Books and Encyclopedias can help you better understand your specific research question by showing how it fits within a broader field of study.
Wikipedia
Wikipedia is an online encyclopedia created by volunteers.
Material is written and edited by anyone who is interested in the topic, so their qualifications can vary.
Anyone can see who created or edited a page and when they did it.
Wikipedia notes where its information comes from sometimes, but not always.
When there are citations, they ideally include links to scholarly articles and other sources.
Since the material is user-generated, it can be published instantaneously.
That said, it is okay to use Wikipedia during your research process!
These pages can offer direction or ideas to get you started or help you through a block if you feel stuck in your research.
Websites and Blogs
Websites and blogs are sources published online that range widely in topic, relevance, format, and tone.
At any time, anyone who is interested can create, manage, and write material for a website or a blog.
They will sometimes say where their information came from, often by linking to expert materials or outside sources.
Depending on the source, the material might have been reviewed by professional editors or individuals self-editing.
These pages can influence your research process in a number of ways.
They can offer ideas, direction, expert material, or potential counterarguments.
There are many possibilities.
This ends our exploration of common sources.
We hope the material serves you well as you proceed with expanding and refining your own research process.
As a reminder, UNLV librarians and specialists are available to help!
You can schedule a Research Consultation by visiting the UNLV Libraries website.
By clicking the “Help & Support” tab, you can locate the link to “Meet with a Librarian.”
You might also find our contact information in your ENG 102 WebCampus course.
Please feel free to reach out at any step of the research process.
Thank you for joining us, and happy researching!
