Information can come from anywhere: social media, blogs, books, academic journal articles, magazine or newspaper articles, and more. The type of information source you use will depend on your research question and your professor’s requirements. There are two main types of sources: scholarly and popular. For HLTH 1050, you primarily will use scholarly sources.

Distinguish between the two types of sources by considering a source's purpose, authors, and audience. 

Purpose

• A scholarly source informs and reports on original research done by scholars and experts in the field.
• A popular source entertains and informs a general audience without providing in-depth analysis.

Does the article provide a general overview or an update on a topic? Or does the article take a "deep dive" into a particular facet of the topic? Scholarly articles will do the latter.

Authors

• A scholarly source is written by subject specialists and experts in the field.
• A popular source is typically written by a journalist, freelance writer, or editorial staff member.

Scholarly articles will also be written by experts. Expertise is determined by education and experience, so check to see if the author has expertise on the particular topic or field.

Audience

• A scholarly source is intended for a limited audience - researcher, scholars, or fellow experts.
• A popular source is intended for a broad segment of the population, appealing to non-specialists.

Scholarly articles are written for a limited audience, and because of this, they will often use technical jargon. On the other hand, popular sources have a wider audience. Think about a local newspaper, like the Salt Lake Tribune; it is written so anyone in the valley can pick it up and read it.

For HLTH 1050, most scholarly sources will be academic journal articles.

• Mackey, Tim K., et al. “Twitter-Based Detection of Illegal Online Sale of Prescription Opioid.” American Journal of Public Health, vol. 107, no. 12, Dec. 2017, pp. 1910–1915. Professional Development Collection, https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2017.303994.
• Simoni, Serena. “Queens of Narco-Trafficking: Breaking Gender Hierarchy in Colombia.” International Affairs, vol. 94, no. 6, Nov. 2018, pp. 1257–1267. Business Source Premier, https://doi.org/10.1093/ia/iiy198.

Popular sources are often newspaper or magazine articles, general website articles, etc.

• McLaughlin, Kathleen. “Deadly Chemistry.” Science, vol. 355, no. 6332, Mar. 2017, pp. 1364–1366. Academic Search Ultimate, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.355.6332.1364.
• Morris, Evelyn Krache. “Think Again: Mexican Drug Cartels.” Foreign Policy, no. 203, Dec. 2013, pp. 30–33. JSTOR Journals, https://www-jstor-org.libprox1.slcc.edu/stable/24576001.

Use the SLCC Libraries module on scholarly articles to learn more, including how to evaluate, summarize, and find them.