The amount and types of information you can find on a current or controversial issue depends on how recently the issue or events have occurred. For current events, you are more likely to find scholarly and in-depth resources if your research into the topic requires background or historical information. Pay attention to the source's date of publication when you are researching a current event topic or a controversial issue that has experienced recent developments.
Information comes from many different sources. Understanding how information evolves can help you decide what sources to use for different research needs. Watch this video for an explanation of how information begins and evolves.
Created by University Library, Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. https://www.library.illinois.edu/ugl/howdoi/informationcycle
Reference Sources include sources of quick, factual information, as well as basic and specialized encyclopedias.
Use these sources to generate topic ideas, become more informed, or obtain background information on a topic. Do not cite these sources in a college level paper unless your instructor requests them.
For very current events and issues, the only information available will come from news sources:
Within Minutes...
Within days...
Still, for very current events, you will have the following information sources available for your issue:
Within a week...
Within a month...
You will not yet have available the scholarly analysis due to the currency of the event, unless an expert has been interviewed regarding the issue.
For current and controversial issues written about by experts in a subject area, you will find:
Three months or more later...
Over a year later...
Source: Wilson, Rita. "Scholarly vs Popular." UTSA Libraries, 19 Nov. 2018, libguides.utsa.edu/scholarly.
| Scholarly / Academic Journals (incl. Peer-Reviewed) | Popular | Trade Publications | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Examples | American Anthropologist Journal of Popular Culture |
Time National Geographic Popular Mechanics Psychology Today |
Public Management Advertising Age InfoSecurity Professional |
| Content | Research results/reports Reviews of research Book reviews of scholarly works |
Current events General interest |
Articles on a certain business or industry News, trends, promotional materials |
| Purpose | Share original research or scholarship with the academic community | Entertainment Current events Popular culture |
Information about business or industry news, trends or products |
| Audience |
Scholars |
General public Nonprofessionals |
Business and industry professionals and practitioners |
| Authorship | Expert or specialist in the field, whose name and credentials are always provided | Staff writers Journalists Freelancers (credentials seldom provided) |
Staff writers Business and industry professionals |
| Review Policy |
Peer-reviewed (refeered) |
Staff editor | Business and industry professionals Editor |
| Cites Sources | Research thoroughly documented | None, may mention other studies without a formal references list | None, may mention other studies without a formal references list |
| Format / Structure | Structured articles typically contain: abstract, literature review, methodology, results, discussion, conclusion, and bibliography | no specific format | no specific format |
| Special features | Tables, graphs, maps Longer articles Very few ads |
Glossy photos & illustrations Many ads |
Ads geared towards the industry |
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