1. Locating & Evaluating Sources
Library
Tips
In this session, students will learn how how to determine if a periodical is considered peer-reviewed, how to differentiate primary and secondary sources, and how to evaluate the quality of sources.

2. Overview Peer-Reviewed Journals Primary vs. Secondary
Evaluating Quality
In today’s presentation, we are going to discuss tips on how to determine if a journal is considered peer-reviewed (to locate peer-reviewed articles), how to differentiate and use different types of primary and secondary sources, and how to evaluate the quality of the information sources that you find.

3. Peer-Reviewed
Let’s discuss how to determine if a scholarly journal article is considered peer-reviewed (also known as refereed).
Once a scholarly paper is written, it can be sent to a journal that undergoes a peer review process. Note that not all scholarly journals undergo a peer-review process. For those that do, an editor will determine if the paper submission fits the journal’s scope. If it does, copies of the paper are then sent to other scholars in the field that are considered experts and have previously published their own research on the topic. These scholars serve as the peer reviewers or referees and check for mistakes. Ultimately, the paper will go through a rigorous editing process before it can be published as a peer-reviewed article.

4. Ulrichsweb - ProQuest 1 2 3

5. Ulrichsweb - ProQuest
Ulrichsweb provides detailed information on more than 300,000 periodicals (also called serials) including academic and scholarly journals, e-journals, popular magazines, newspapers, newsletters, and more.

6. Ulrichsweb - ProQuest “journal of educational research”
For a basic search, type the title of the journal (NOT the title of the article) in the search box. Remember, Ulrichsweb provides details about periodicals not specific articles, so only type the title of the journal in which the article was published. Enclose the journal title with quotations marks for more precise results.
“journal of educational research”

7. Ulrichsweb - ProQuest
After you type in the journal title, click “search” to see a chart that chart lists periodicals by title and includes details such as the publisher, country of publication, type of serial, and format.

8. Ulrichsweb - ProQuest
On the list, find the journal that you want and look to see if it has an icon of a referee jersey. That icon indicates that the journal is considered peer-reviewed. So, if you would like to use an article from that journal as a reference, you now know it qualifies as a peer-reviewed article.

9. Peer-Reviewed

10. Primary vs. Secondary
In addition to finding peer-reviewed articles, you should also be using primary sources. While conducting a literature review, it is important that you understand how to differentiate primary and secondary resources, especially if you are required to find a certain amount of each on your topic.
Primary research is original research conducted by the researchers to support claims or criticisms or provide evidence for theories and perspectives. Secondary sources, however, are created when an author interprets and analyzes a primary source. While a primary source speaks to the actual creation of the source, a secondary source speaks in detail about something that has already been created. Books and textbooks are usually considered secondary because they summarize or synthesize information from primary sources / original research studies.

11. Primary vs. Secondary
Did the author(s) actually conduct the research presented?
When you find an article, ask yourself this question: “Did the author(s) actually conduct the research presented in the article?” Your answer will help you determine if the article is a primary or secondary source.

12. Primary vs. Secondary
Did the author(s) actually conduct the research presented?
If yes, it’s primary
If the answer is “yes,” it is a primary source.

13. Primary Hints
To answer this question, look at the language in the abstract and throughout the full text of the article for hints.

14. Primary Hints “our research” “hypothesis” “Method” “sample”
For example, look for phrasing such as “our research” and “our findings.” Other hints include words such as “methodology,” “sample size,” and “hypothesis” as well as section headings for “Methods, “Results,” and “Findings.” Basically, as you read through the article, look to see if the authors are writing about their own research rather than research conducted by someone else.
“sample”

15. Primary vs. Secondary
Did the author(s) actually conduct the research presented?
If no, it’s secondary
Now, going back to our original question, if the answer is “no,” then it is a secondary source.

16. Secondary Hints
Again look for hints in the language of the abstract and throughout the full text.

17. Secondary Hints “a review of” “purpose… to review”
In this example, we see that the title and purpose statement both indicate that it is a review of other studies. This suggests that the authors did not actually conduct the studies that they are writing about, so the source is considered secondary.
“purpose… to review”

18. Watch Out! “Methods” “experimental design”
However, be careful! Notice that the authors still used phrases like “methods” and “experimental design” to explain how they created their review. Don’t let that confuse you. Also, remember that many primary sources might still include a literature review section. It’s also important to recognized that a source’s classification as either primary or secondary is relative depending on your topic. Since this designation is relative, most databases will not allow you to limit searches to only primary sources so it’s up to you to determine.
“experimental design”

19. Evaluating Sources A B C D = Author = Bias = Content = Date
Now that you have a better understanding of the different types of sources, let’s discuss ways to evaluate the quality of the information that you find. While there is no single way to determine quality, you can use the ABCD’s of Evaluating Sources to provide guidance. This criteria will help you decide whether or not to refer to a information source in your own literature review.
= Date

20. A = Author Who is the author, publisher, source, or sponsor?
What are their credentials?
Are they experts in their field?
After you find a source of information that you might want to use, think about the author(s) of the source.
Are the authors experts and qualified to write on the topic?
What are their credentials?
Are they affiliated with any organizations or a university?
Also, consider the publisher or source. Where was the information published? In a peer-reviewed journal?
Do a little investigating on the author and source to make sure the information provided can be considered reputable.

21. A = Author
For example, here we see an entry in ERIC for an article on leadership.

22. A = Author “scholarly” icon peer-reviewed journal
Notice that the database has provided an icon to indicate that this article is considered scholarly. Also, if you were to look up the journal in Ulrichsweb, you would see that this article was published in a peer-reviewed journal. These are all good indicators.
peer-reviewed journal

23. A = Author
If we were to click to the full text of this article…

24. A = Author University-affiliation
If we were to click to the full text of this article, we would see that the authors have a university affiliation, another positive clue. You could then investigate further into their research background.

25. B = Bias What is the purpose?
Is the information fact, opinion, or propaganda?
In addition to analyzing the author and source, you’ll also want to look for any bias in the information. Ask yourself:
Does this information cover all sides of the topic in a neutral, objective manner?
What is the purpose of this information… to inform, teach, persuade, or sell?

26. B = Bias
So, look for a purpose statement in the abstract and introduction of the article.

27. B = Bias purpose statement
In this example, the authors state that “The intent of this article is not to debate the worth of various policies, but to discuss unintended outcomes…” This indicates that the authors should present facts and evidence. As you continue reading through the article, make sure the language remains neutral and the authors present all sides. You do not want to use articles that are not presented objectively.

28. C = Content Does it relate to your topic?
Is it at an appropriate level?
Is the information accurate / supported by evidence?
Is there a reference list?
Next, you want to critically evaluate the actual content of the article.
Is the information provided as a superficial overview or a detailed analysis?
Is the information relevant to your topic or does it deviate too much?
Is the readership level too simple or too sophisticated? Also, focus on the accuracy of the content.
Does the information match your understanding of the topic and can you verify the claims in other sources?
Compare its findings to those of other related articles. Do not rely on only one source.

29. C = Content
Also, look at the article’s reference list to see what types of sources and how many other sources were cited. In reading the article, look at the depth and breadth of the information provided and compare how it relates to your topic. Make sure all claims are supported by evidence and are properly cited.

30. C = Content newspaper newspaper magazine peer-reviewed British journal
In taking a closer look at the reference list, notice that while this sample article provides a long reference list, many of its sources were newspaper and magazine articles. You would want to take all of these details into consideration when deciding whether or not to use this information to support your topic or research.
peer-reviewed British journal

31. D = Date When was it published or last updated?
Is the information still correct/current?
Lastly, you need to consider when was the information was published, updated, or revised. Has the information become outdated?

32. D = Date
Even if the information was published fairly recently, try to look for other recent sources to determine if there have been any newer developments. Consider setting up an alert within databases to be notified when new information related to your topic has been published. Also, make sure you review the dates of the information from the article’s reference list.

33. D = Date
recent
Notice that our sample article was published within the last two years but many of its references are much older. Definitely take this into consideration. Depending on your topic, it may be ok to include an older source if it serves as a landmark study.
too old?

34. Questions? http://nova.campusguides.com/summer-institute
Remember, if you have any questions about the topics that we discussed today, you can always ask a librarian!