There are several types of academic and professional information available to support your research. They are categorized as: Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary sources, White papers, and Grey literature. These sources are distinct from popular publications.
This is not as apparent in electronic format, but some databases will allow you to sort your results by publication type. Look for the option to limit your results to scholarly journals or peer-reviewed journals. They can usually be distinguished by the the following categories: appearance, audience, author/authority, citations, content, frequency.
| Popular Magazines | Scholarly Journals |
|
Appearance: Attractive with glossy pictures Audience: Written for the general public Author/Authority: Articles written by staff or freelance writers Content: Current events and special feature articles for the general public Frequency: Usually published weekly or monthly Examples: Time Magazine, Car and Driver, Good Housekeeping |
Appearance: Usually have serious look, may have graphs or charts but few glossy photographs. Use scholarly vocabulary Audience: Written for academics and professionals Author/Authority: Written by researchers or scholars in the field who report the results of original research Content: Scholarly research for a particular profession or industry. Usually contain an abstract, methodology, charts, results, conclusions, and references. Frequency: Usually published bimonthly or quarterly Examples: English Journal, The F. Scott Fitzgerald Review |
Types of primary sources include:
Letters or diaries
Minutes of a meeting
Photographs
Interviews
Sound or video recordings
Oral histories
Speeches
Vital records (birth, death, marriage certificates)
For a more in-depth explanation of Primary Sources visit this Research Guide.
Databases containing Primary Sources are here.
"White paper" is the term commonly applied to publications in business and industry, usually featuring research or detailed product reports.
A secondary source could be a book, an article, or other source that provides information about an object of study but does not constitute direct, first-hand evidence. It may be written by a journalist or a literary critic.
Types of secondary sources include:
Literary criticism
Newspapers
Popular magazines
Professional journals
Theses and dissertations
A major source for theses and dissertations is ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global
Theses and dissertations written by Liberty students and faculty can be found in Scholars Crossing.
Some government documents
Government documents can be found at usa.gov.
Types of tertiary sources:
Textbooks
Manuals
Dictionaries
It is produced in government, academics, business and industry and it includes:
Conference papers and proceedings
Research reports
Government documents