ENGL105 - Scholarly Articles 101: Other Types of Sources

Other Types of Sources

Many of the sources you encounter when doing research will fall into the categories of popular or scholarly, but there are a few other types of sources that you may come across or be asked to find. Learn more about these sources below.

Trade Journals

Author

• Staff writers or industry professionals

Audience/Goal

• To share industry news, trends, or products with business/industry professionals

Typical Content

• Article types can include industry news, opinions, advice articles, and product reviews

Features

• May or may not include citations
• Reviewed by a staff editor, but not peer-reviewed
• The title of the trade journal typically includes the name of the industry it is focused on

White Papers

Author

• Staff of a for-profit organization or government agency

Audience/Goal

• Audience can include industry executives, legislators, think tanks, non-profits, consumers, retailers, and ordinary citizens
• Goal is to convince the reader of the author's point of view on a topic. Often times a white paper is a proposal of change or a solution that uses logic and evidence to guide the reader towards a specific decision.

Typical Content

• Government documents or business proposals

Features

• Accessible and persuasive writing style
• Usually features research or detailed product reports
• Usually includes citations
  • May draw upon research that has not been peer-reviewed

Gray Literature

Gray literature is information produced where publishing is not the primary goal, therefore created outside of the traditional publishing and distribution processes.

Author

• Often created by organizations "on the ground" (government agencies, nonprofit organizations, independent companies, etc.)

Audience/Goal

• Produced to share information and report on organizational activities, either for internal use or for wider distribution. Often published this way to avoid delays and restrictions of academic or commercial publishing. 

Typical Content

• Can include reports, government documents, speeches, urban plans, working papers, policy literature, newsletters, theses, dissertations, and more

Features

• Not peer-reviewed
• Often more current than articles published in scholarly journals