ENGL 105, Academic Writing: The Media Question (Carl Peters): Introduction

Not all journals are created equal, and not all will be appropriate for every research need. Here are some characteristics of scholarly journals:

• the authors are researchers or scholars - articles will typically include the author's institutional affiliation;
• the articles reflect an-depth analysis of topics or report original research (theoretical, experimental or applied);
• articles are often lengthy, and book reviews, if included, are substantial;
• the language used reflects the technical vocabulary of the discipline (i.e., jargon); and
• many are refereed or peer-reviewed.

For more information and additional characteristics, see Types of Periodicals.

Books are rarely peer-reviewed, which can make it more challenging to determine scholarly status. However, the following are common characteristics of scholarly books:

• the authors or editors are researchers or scholars (you might need to look inside the book for information about the author, or you can try a Google search);
• the publisher is often a university press (e.g., Oxford University Press, University of California Press) or an academic society (e.g., American Anthropological Association); and/or
• the language used reflects the technical vocabulary of the discipline (i.e., jargon).

This guide has been developed as a general introduction to resources for English 105, Academic Writing taught by Dr. Carl Peters. It is not a comprehensive listing of sources, but rather a starting point from which you can begin your research according to your information needs.

Keep in mind that English 105 is an opportunity for you to learn to write well and to write academically. Therefore, the use of AI is not appropriate in this course.

Topics may vary by section and semester. So not all examples included in this libguide may apply to your section!

Short on time? Just want to dive right in? Start here: