Info Skills Test Summary:
Module A:
Popular, professional & scholarly sources:
Sources of information are created for an indented audience, based on audience there are 3
groups:
1. Popular sources= readers who do not have specialist knowledge of subject
2. Professional/trade sources= written by and for professionals in a particular field or
industry
3. Scholarly/academic sources= written by scholars who are experts in a particular field
or study and serve to keep other scholars in the field up to date of the most recent
research findings and ideas.
Popular source: Professional source: Academic source:
Traditionally published sources:
Publication method:
Traditionally published sources= come from a commercial or academic publisher.
Examples,
1. Books/e-books, focussing on different audiences: popular books, professional,
scholarly books.
2. Periodicals (regularly publications, weekly, etc), focussing on different audiences: -
- Popular (e.g., newspapers, magazines).
, - Professional provide content of interest in a particular industry (e.g., law practice
magazine).
- Scholarly journals (e.g., EU economic review, modern theology).
Availability:
- Publishers manage editing, layout, ads, and distribution making sources widely
available
Formats:
- Newspapers, trade journals, and magazines are available online as well as in print.
A closer look at scholarly sources:
What makes a source scholarly:
- Authors: written by academics who are experts in their field of study, listed with
credentials/degrees and employment of university
- Language: advanced vocabulary or specialized language intended for other scholars
- Citation: sources refer to cite the origins of info and ideas used by authors to support
their argument.
Citation used is APA.
Scholarly sources: Journals
Article types published by scholarly journals:
- Theoretical articles: present new or alternative ways of thinking about a subject,
challenge existing theory, or synthesize recent advances into new theory.
- Research articles (empirical): report of a new research. Thesis research.
- Review articles: summarize the current state of knowledge about a research topic.
- Case studies: reports in which an individual, event is the subject of the study.
Purpose not to generalize, but let others know similar things may occur elsewhere.
- Book reviews: short articles that provide insight and opinion about a recently
published scholarly book. (not scholarly, help identify suitable books).
Structure of a scholarly article:
- Abstract title
- Abstract: summary containing key points
- Introduction or literature review
- Article text/body for research articles= methods & results
- Discussion
- Conclusion can be part of discussion
- References
Most scholarly journals are published quarterly and continuously paginated= page numbers
don’t start over with new issues published. (article 1 1-50, article 2 51-101)
Peer review/refereeing= process whereby an article is assessed for quality by its own peers
(other experts in the field) before it’s published.
Module A:
Popular, professional & scholarly sources:
Sources of information are created for an indented audience, based on audience there are 3
groups:
1. Popular sources= readers who do not have specialist knowledge of subject
2. Professional/trade sources= written by and for professionals in a particular field or
industry
3. Scholarly/academic sources= written by scholars who are experts in a particular field
or study and serve to keep other scholars in the field up to date of the most recent
research findings and ideas.
Popular source: Professional source: Academic source:
Traditionally published sources:
Publication method:
Traditionally published sources= come from a commercial or academic publisher.
Examples,
1. Books/e-books, focussing on different audiences: popular books, professional,
scholarly books.
2. Periodicals (regularly publications, weekly, etc), focussing on different audiences: -
- Popular (e.g., newspapers, magazines).
, - Professional provide content of interest in a particular industry (e.g., law practice
magazine).
- Scholarly journals (e.g., EU economic review, modern theology).
Availability:
- Publishers manage editing, layout, ads, and distribution making sources widely
available
Formats:
- Newspapers, trade journals, and magazines are available online as well as in print.
A closer look at scholarly sources:
What makes a source scholarly:
- Authors: written by academics who are experts in their field of study, listed with
credentials/degrees and employment of university
- Language: advanced vocabulary or specialized language intended for other scholars
- Citation: sources refer to cite the origins of info and ideas used by authors to support
their argument.
Citation used is APA.
Scholarly sources: Journals
Article types published by scholarly journals:
- Theoretical articles: present new or alternative ways of thinking about a subject,
challenge existing theory, or synthesize recent advances into new theory.
- Research articles (empirical): report of a new research. Thesis research.
- Review articles: summarize the current state of knowledge about a research topic.
- Case studies: reports in which an individual, event is the subject of the study.
Purpose not to generalize, but let others know similar things may occur elsewhere.
- Book reviews: short articles that provide insight and opinion about a recently
published scholarly book. (not scholarly, help identify suitable books).
Structure of a scholarly article:
- Abstract title
- Abstract: summary containing key points
- Introduction or literature review
- Article text/body for research articles= methods & results
- Discussion
- Conclusion can be part of discussion
- References
Most scholarly journals are published quarterly and continuously paginated= page numbers
don’t start over with new issues published. (article 1 1-50, article 2 51-101)
Peer review/refereeing= process whereby an article is assessed for quality by its own peers
(other experts in the field) before it’s published.
