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Finding information

Key academic sources

A cartoon of a student reading, there is a thought bubble above their head with lots of different thoughts depicted as symbolsYour lecturers will expect you to use a wide range of academic sources in your coursework. When we refer to academic sources, we mean those which have been written by academic experts and researchers, based on their scholarly research and knowledge. Generally these will be academic books and scholarly journal articles.  But, depending on your subject, you may need other sources such as law cases, policy documents, images, maps, statistics.

By using academic sources, you are demonstrating your ability to read and engage with the scholarly literature in your subject.  You should use the information that you find to provide evidence for your arguments and to demonstrate the solid knowledge of the topic that you have developed from your reading.

Other non-academic sources may also be useful for helping you develop your ideas and to gather information about current issues and developments.

Different types of sources

 Use the flip-cards below to discover different sources of information and what they are useful for.

Understanding journals

A cartoon of a student reading an oversized textThere are two main types of journals:

  • trade or professional journals
  • academic or peer-reviewed journals

They are published at regular intervals (such as daily, weekly, monthly) and may be available both in print and online (eJournals). Some journal titles, especially those for art, design and architecture, are only available in print format but most of the journals the Library subscribe to are available online.

Articles are published in journals. There are usually several articles written by different authors in each issue of a journal. Journal articles tend to cover more specific topics than books.  They are also published more quickly than books and so can be a very good source of current information or research on a topic.

Academic or scholarly journal articles are typically written by academics or scholars who have conducted research in their area of expertise and discuss the findings of that research. They may also discuss current issues in depth, citing other research and theory.

Articles are researched and written by experts so as to provide a means of communicating, debating or critiquing original research and expanding knowledge in all disciplines. Researchers test out new developments, focus on specific issues, problem solving or highlighting future trends.

Academic journals can also be referred to as periodicals or serials. 

Trade journals are targeted at professionals in a particular industry.  They contain the latest news, developments, updates and trends in that industry.  They don't contain scholarly research and aren't peer-reviewed.  

Academic journal articles are usually peer-reviewed, meaning that they have been reviewed and examined by other experts in the field before publication. Peer-review is used to judge whether an article and the research it is based on is of high enough quality to be published in the journal. 

Full text means you can access the whole of the article, rather than just an abstract or summary.  

By reading peer-reviewed journal articles and citing them in your assignments you can show your tutors that you have undertaken your own research to find high quality, academic information. It is also good to support the points you wish to make in your essays with evidence from peer-reviewed research. This really will help improve your marks!

Check out our referencing guide for more information.

Test your knowledge!