Subject Guides: UA Library Search Guide: Types of Resources

What Makes a Resource Scholarly?

Written by academic experts for other experts in a particular field of study
Based on credible theories, analyses, and evidence-based insights
Focused on developing academic knowledge that is credible, authoritative, and impartial
The language used is often highly-technical and complex

The Importance of Many Ways of Knowing

It is important to note that scholarly resources include Indigenous and myriad non-western ways of thinking and knowledge-sharing practices, all of which greatly contribute to the development of knowledge and academic scholarship.

To learn more, visit our Indigenous Research Guide, which provides information on Indigenous ways of knowing, research methods, research data sovereignty, and citation styles.

Types of Resources

Scholarly articles are great sources of high-quality academic information.

When you limit to "Peer Reviewed" in databases, you limit your search to peer reviewed journal articles, which are:

Published in academic journals at regular intervals (i.e. monthly, quarterly, yearly)
Often undergo a peer-review process
Contains highly-specialized academic information on a very specific topic
Usually longer in length (often 10-20+ pages)
Follows a set citation style (APA, Chicago, CSE, etc.) for its references
Written by academic experts in a particular field of study
Includes original research and/or summaries of knowledge on a highly-specified topic

What Does Peer-Reviewed Mean?

Peer review: academic subject-matter experts review and verify information provided in a scholarly article prior to publication.

Examples of Scholarly Articles:

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Popular and Scholarly Sources

Academic non-fiction books and ebooks are great sources of scholarly information and are usually broader in subject matter when compared to scholarly articles.

Often published by academic publishers, such as university presses
Written by academic experts in a particular field of study
Include citations that follow a set citation style (APA, Chicago, CSE, etc.)
Can be published as a single stand-alone book, as part of a series of books, or as a multi-volume work
Edited books are collections of chapters from different authors, also called an edited volume

When reading non-fiction books and ebooks you usually only need to read the chapters that are most relevant to your topic. Look through the book's table of contents or search within the ebook to find relevant chapters.

Examples of Academic Non-Fiction Books:

Gothic Literature by Andrew Smith
The book opens with a chronology and an introduction to the principal texts and key critical terms of gothic literature. This text covers The Gothic Heyday 1760-1820; Gothic 1820-1865; Gothic Proximities 1865-1900; Twentieth Century; and Contemporary Gothic.
Immunotherapy in Resistant Cancer: From the Lab Bench Work to Its Clinical Perspectives by Mariana Segovia-Mendoza (Editor); Jorge Morales-Montor (Editor)
This book provides high-level knowledge on detailed mechanisms of actions and biological interactions of different immune drugs, with the aim of offering researchers and clinicians cutting-edge therapies to overcome drug resistance.
Kaandossiwin: How We Come to Know by Kathleen E. Absolon (Minogiizhigokwe)
In a challenge to the colonialist rejection of Indigenous knowledge, Anishinaabe re-searcher Kathleen Absolon describes how Indigenous re-searchers re-theorize and re-create methodologies.

Fiction is comprised of creative works that portray imagined individuals, events, places, or situations. Although fiction may be based on a true story, fiction does not have to adhere to fact or plausibility. Most fiction is comprised of written stories and can often include:

novels, novellas, short stories, poetry, graphic novels, comics and plays

These works can be published as stand-alone items, as part of a series, or as part of an anthology.

Examples of Fiction

Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
A shy young woman discovers her true power in this poignant love story from one of the world's most cherished authors. The eldest of nine children born to a naval lieutenant with a meager pension, Fanny Price is sent to live with wealthy relatives at Mansfield Park.
The Refugees by Viet Thanh Nguyen
The Refugees is a collection of perfectly formed stories written over a period of twenty years, exploring questions of immigration, identity, love, and family. Viet Thanh Nguyen gives voice to lives led between two worlds, the adopted homeland and the country of birth. The stories are a captivating testament to the dreams and hardships of immigration.
The Norton Anthology of English Literature by Stephen Greenblatt (Editor); Carol T. Christ (Editor); Catherine Robson (Editor)
Firmly grounded by the hallmark strengths of all Norton Anthologies--thorough and helpful introductory matter, judicious annotation, complete texts wherever possible--The Norton Anthology of English Literature has been revitalized in this Eighth Edition through the collaboration between six new editors and six seasoned ones.

Government Information includes documents, data, information, and publications produced by governmental agencies. Examples of government information include:

laws and legislation
reports and policies
data, datasets, and statistics
webpages
maps

To learn more about finding government information, please check out our Government Information Subject Guide.

Grey literature is any material that is published outside of typical book and journal publishing. Grey literature is created by experts within departments and agencies of government organizations, non-governmental organizations, universities, think tanks, and corporations.

Webpages
Documents and reports
Theses and dissertations
Conference proceedings and much more

Where to Find Grey Literature?
Google can be a great starting point when searching for grey literature. Conducting a site search (site:website.com) is a great way to find information from a particular website. Limiting by filetype (filetype:PDF) is also a great way to narrow your search.

To learn more about searching for grey literature, check out our Guide to Searching Grey Literature.

A thesis, or a dissertation, is a research paper that usually contains original research authored by candidates completing an academic degree (usually a Master's or a Doctorate degree).

Learn more about theses and dissertations in our Theses and Dissertations Guide.

Indigenous Knowledges can be understood as being:

Transmitted from generation to generation
Developed from complete knowledge systems
Expressed in many formats. eg. oral, ceremony, artistic creations, artifacts, etc.
Not all in the past; there is continued growth, innovation, and change in practices
Inclusive of history, law, spirituality, agriculture, environment, science, medicine, art, music and more

To learn more, visit our Indigenous Research Guide, which provides information on Indigenous ways of knowing, research methods, research data sovereignty, and citation styles.

Legal publications often include:

Legal cases, legislation, and treaties
Legal encyclopedias & dictionaries
Secondary sources (books, articles etc.) that comment on or explain the law found in cases or legislation

To learn more about legal publications, check out our Legal Research Guide.

The background information found in tertiary sources, such as encyclopedias and dictionaries can help you get started with your research, grounding you in concepts, definitions, and keywords that are relevant to your topic.

Provides an overview of a topic by synthesizing information from many resources
Helps you to understand your topic and develop keywords for searching
Not always accepted as a source for university-level papers (check with your instructor first)
Great resources to help you get started with your research

To learn more about doing background research, take a look at our Background Resources guide.

Examples of Encyclopedias & Dictionaries

The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Costume and Fashion by Jack Cassin-Scott
This illustrated reference work traces the changing styles in costume and fashion design over 900 years, from the basic, functional dress of the medieval period to the brutality of punk. Its encyclopaedic coverage should benefit historians and theatrical groups as well as students of fashion.
Encyclopedia of Soil Science by Ward Chesworth (Editor)
The Encyclopedia of Soil Science provides a comprehensive, alphabetical treatment of basic soil science in a single volume. It constitutes a wide ranging and authorative collection of some 160 academic articles covering the salient aspects of soil physics, chemistry, biology, fertility, technology, genesis, morphology, classification and geomorphology. With increased usage of soil for world food production, building materials, and waste repositories, demand has grown for a better global understanding of soil and its processes. longer articles by leading authorities from around the world are supplemented by some 430 definitions of common terms in soil sciences.
Oxford Dictionary of Food and Nutrition by David A. Bender (Editor)
This leading dictionary contains over 6,000 entries covering all aspects of food and nutrition, diet, and health. Jargon-free definitions make this a valuable dictionary that clearly explains even the most technical of nutritional terms. From absinthe to zymogens, it covers types of food (including everyday foods and little-known foods, e.g. payusnaya), nutritional information, vitamins, minerals, and key scientific areas including metabolism and genomics.

Articles published in a trade magazine are usually of interest to those within a given trade, business, or industry.

Often focused on industry-specific news, trends, and annual reports
Frequently published by professional associations and organizations
Written by industry practitioners for others working in the same or similar fields
Usually do not undergo a peer-review process

To learn more about finding industry information, check out our Business and Engineering Subject Guides

Popular articles are intended to be read by general audiences

Shorter in length
Written by journalists or freelance writers
Uses accessible language on a broad range of topics

Examples of Popular Articles

"Slow-Stalking Predators" from National Geographic
"A Living History of the Humble Paper Airplane" from Popular Mechanics

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Popular and Scholarly Sources

Editorials, or opinion pieces, express the personal opinions of the author on a current event or topic.

Short in length - usually only 1-2 pages long
Most commonly found in magazines or newspapers
Example: Dogs, Cats and Pink Umbrellas: Claude Cormier's Artful Places for People

Please note that while book review articles can be published in academic journals they do not qualify as scholarly articles.

Short in length - usually only 1-2 pages
Usually have the phrase “Book Review” in the title
Reviews a book written by another author
Example: Book Review: University Governance in Canada: Navigating Complexity

Please note that what is considered a primary or a secondary source varies by discipline and context. If you are in doubt as to whether or not something is a primary or a secondary source Ask Us or contact a Subject Librarian.

What is a primary source?

first-hand accounts of events created by participants or witnesses of an event OR;
materials created by researchers through first-hand experimentation, observation, or other research methodologies OR;
creative works, including poems, music scores, short stories, films, novels, paintings, etc.

What is a secondary source?

resources that discuss/analyze an event or subject (but are written after the time that the events occurred by someone who was not a participant or witness)
works that contain interpretations and analyses of one or more primary source
resources that summarize, analyze, or report on the work of other researchers

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Primary and Secondary Sources
Finding Primary Sources