Source Evaluation: Source Examples

Scholarly Peer-Reviewed Journal Article

• Written by a scholar, researcher, PhD holder in the field, professor, etc.
• Utilizes extensive primary source documentation
• Uses discipline specific terminology, methodology, theory
• Advances research or contributes to a discipline of study
• Published by a peer reviewed journal
• Has a current publication date (if currency is important to the topic at hand)
• Includes a bibliography

Example: BIM and Mechanical Engineering—A Cross-Disciplinary Analysis by Luca Adanic, Sara Guerra de Oliveira, Andrej Tibaut

• Authored by faculty of Civil and Transportation Engineering and Architecture at the University of Maribor 
• Published in MDPI by Sustainability, an international, cross-disciplinary, scholarly, peer-reviewed and open access journal of environmental, cultural, economic, and social sustainability of human beings
• Written for academic audiences with familiarity with the discipline
• Theoretical and analytical
• Over 100 references that can be cross-checked listed

Non-Scholarly Article

• Written by a professional, reporter, political pundit, or general writer
• Takes the form of a newspaper or magazine article, blogpost, informal website, social media post, YouTube video, etc. 
• May or may not include references/bibliography or notes
• Uses language appropriate for a general audience
• Is informational but does not present original empirical research
• Does not require discipline specific knowledge
• Typically a narrative or biographical story
• May be sponsored by a commercial or political organization

Example: 10 Influential Women in Engineering by Chitra Sethi

• Authored by an editorial director with a background in engineering
• Published by ASME in Mechanical Engineering Magazine
• Written for a lay audience
• Narrative or biographical story
• No bibliography listed 

Scholarly Book

• Written by a scholar, researcher, PhD holder in the field, professor
• Utilizes extensive primary source documentation
• Uses discipline specific terminology, methodology, theory
• Advances research or contributes to a discipline of study
• May be a monograph or edited compilation of contributions from multiple scholars
• Published by a university or scholarly association

Example: Introduction to Mechanical Engineering by J. Paulo Davim

• Authored by a Professor with a PhD of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Aveiro, Portugal
• Published by Springer
• Written for academic audiences with familiarity with the discipline
• Theoretical and analytical
• Part of a larger series on materials forming, machining and tribology 

Popular Non-Fiction Book

• Written by a professional, reporter, political pundit, writer
• May or may not include references or notes
• Uses language appropriate for a general audience
• Is informational but does not present original empirical research
• Does not require discipline specific knowledge
• Typically a narrative or biographical story
• Published by trade publishers (i.e., Harper Collins, Random House)

Example: Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand

• Authored by an award winning writer
• Published by Random House
• Written for a lay audience
• Narrative or biographical story
• Review from popular sources: Salon, The Economist, New York Times