| Source Characteristics | Scholarly Articles | Non-scholarly Articles |
|---|---|---|
| Authors | Researchers, experts | Journalists, organizations, non-experts |
| Type of Source | Academic and peer-reviewed journals | Newspapers, websites, popular magazines |
| Purpose | To share research findings | General information |
| Audience | Other researchers and experts | General public |
| Vocabulary | Specialized vocabulary | Everyday language |
| Citations | Provided for all sources | Few or no citations are provided |
| Where to locate | Article Databases, UC Library Search | Websites, Magazines, Newspapers |
Peer-reviewed articles have undergone an editorial process wherein a group of individuals reviews the work submitted within the same field. The peer review group will evaluate the information during the process to ensure credibility.
| Use a database and its limits/filters | Google the source/publication title | Check a directory |
|---|---|---|
| Most databases have a “peer- reviewed” or “refereed” limiter that you can check while searching | Check the journal’s description in “journal information” or “about this journal” to see if it is peer-reviewed/refereed | The Ulrich’s Periodical Directory database lists journals and this icon  tells you if it is peer-reviewed/refereed |
Multimodal sources contain more than one communication technique (modes). Multimodal sources would include a combination of text, images, motion, or audio. Paper-based multimodal examples include graphic novels, posters, and picture books. Non-text examples could include, dance, performance, or oral storytelling.
Internet searches may also be appropriate for finding multimodal sources.
