This short video explains several things to keep in mind when choosing information sources for research. (Video by NCSU Libraries, CC-BY-NC-SA 3.0 US license)
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Scholarly Journal
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Trade Magazine/Journal
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News or Popular Magazine
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|---|---|---|---|
| Also known as... | Academic, Peer-Reviewed, Refereed | Industry, Professional | Newspapers |
| Audience | Academics and researchers | Professionals | General public |
| Authors | Experts or specialists (PhD). Unpaid | Staff writers, industry specialists, or vendor representatives. Paid | Journalists, staff writers, or freelance writers. Paid |
| Editorial Review | Journal editorial board and peer review. Unpaid | Professional editors. Paid | Professional editors. Paid |
| References/ Works Cited | Almost always | Sometimes | Rarely |
| Typical Publication Frequency | Bimonthly, quarterly or semi-annually | Weekly, monthly or bimonthly | Daily, weekly or monthly |
| Example | Journal of Marketing | Marketing News | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stated purpose | "...develops and disseminates knowledge about real-world marketing questions... [publishes] conceptual articles and empirical articles... [and] other types of research as well, as long as they offer theoretical and empirical contributions into important marketing questions." | "Publishes articles, interviews, commentary and news of note on marketing aimed at members of the American Marketing Association." | an "informative guide[s] to what is happening in the worlds of health and science, politics, business, society and entertainment...sparks debate...responds immediately when big news breaks... understands your world." |
| Example article title |
"How Consumers' Political Ideology and Status-Maintenance Goals Interact to Shape Their Desire for Luxury Goods" |
"How to Take Control of Your Marketing Career" |
"TikTok Is Turning New Artists Into Viral Sensations. But Who Actually Benefits?" |
| Price | $190.00 | $80.00 | $30.00 |
The RADAR Framework can help you remember what kinds of questions to ask about an information source in order to determine its usefulness for your research. (Developed by librarians at Loyola Marymount University)
Rationale - What is the purpose of the information?
Authority - Is the author and publication credible?
Date - Is the information up-to-date relative to the topic at hand?
Accuracy - How correct and truthful is the information?
Relevance - How relevant is this information to your own purposes?
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