A generic term for a process of self-regulation by a profession or a process of evaluation involving qualified individuals within the relevant field. Peer review methods are employed to maintain standards, improve performance and provide credibility. In academia the term is often used to denote a prepublication review of academic papers; reviewing an academic paper is often called refereeing.
A process by which something proposed (as for research or publication) is evaluated by a group of experts in the appropriate field
Scholarly vs. Popular Articles
The Learning Portal. (December 8, 2021). Scholarly vs popular articles. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZz2tuENZEc
Scholarly Versus Academic Sources
The Internet and the Library make it is easy to find information, but it is more difficult to identify sources you can rely on. Evaluate your sources carefully to ensure you've selected material that is trustworthy and appropriate for your assignment.
The type of source you need will depend on:
Information need: How you intend to use a source will help you determine the kind of authority and/or credibility you give a source.
Information source context: Where it came from, its audience, format, and how it is used--help determine its authority and appropriateness.
Scholarly Academic Publications
Written by an expert in the field of study (an academic or trained specialist)
Date of publication is provided
Publisher may be Colleges/Universities, professional associations, scholarly publishers + research institutes
Purpose of the article or publication is to report on experiments, theories, case studies + other research
Editing is conducted through the peer review process, by experts in the field
Sources are used in the author's research are cited in a reference list or footnotes
Popular Publications
Written by those without expertise in the field (a member of the public or journalist) or no author is stated
Popular publications, especially WWW publications, often do not give a date of publication
Published by commercial for-profit publishers or members of the public
Purpose of the publication is to sell advertised products, inform, promote a point of view or entertain
Review of content is by a generalist (a magazine editor) or no review
Sources are rarely cited or are inaccurate Other Accurate spelling + grammar, few advertisements, logical + well written Spelling + grammar errors may occur, many advertisements, poor or variable writing quality
Value & Use: Reports of original research (theoretical, experimental or applied) with in-depth analysis of subject
Authorship: Scholars, academics, researchers - Names, credentials, and contact information provided.
Sources: All sources cited in bibliographies, footnotes etc.
Magazines (Popular)
Value & Use: General information on current topics, commentary on political and social issues, entertainment
Authorship: Wide variety including specialists, journalists, staff and freelance writers, name and credentials sometimes provided.
Source: Original sources usually obscure, no citations given.
Professional, Trade, & Industry Magazines
Value & Use: Current trends, theoretical & ethical issues, news & events in particular field, industry or profession - Often contain product, company & biographical information.
Practitioners or journalists with subject expertise
Sources: Sources often cited but not always in full
Newspapers
Value & Use: Local and regional focus on current events and news often with some analysis and opinion.
Authorship: Journalists (name sometimes given, rarely with credentials)
Sources: Sometimes cited but rarely in full
Pre-Print Archives
COVID-19 changed the healthcare landscape in many ways. One change was that getting information out to healthcare workers in a timely fashion became even more important. To do this, some healthcare scholars have placed 'pre-prints' of their articles in digital archives such as medRxiv and bioRxiv.
It is important to remember that when using such information, it has not yet fully undergone the "peer review" process. If and when the article is published, it may have undergone minor or major changes. In some cases, the article may never be published in a peer-reviewed journal.
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