How to evaluate the most common types of articles.

When doing research, you will come across three main types of articles, Scholarly, Trade, and Popular. There is a time and place for each type of article. 

1. Scholarly: Highly reliable, use freely. Written by scholars for scholars
2. Trade: Use with caution, written by people in the industry for people in the industry 
3. Popular: Avoid, authority and reliability hard to determine. 

Information evolves over time. 

Information flows and changes over time.  It can change in format, quality, and reliability.

• Information evolves over time in format, in content, and in context.
• It starts with social media and within minutes and hours gets to news media outlets.
• In days and weeks it appears in popular magazines and then in months  appears in scholarly articles.
• After many years  an event occurs, information shows up in a book and reference books. 

Information evolves over time. 

Information flows and changes over time.  It can change in format, quality, and reliability.

• Information evolves over time in format, in content, and in context.
• It starts with social media and within minutes and hours gets to news media outlets.
• In days and weeks it appears in popular magazines and then in months  appears in scholarly articles.
• After many years  an event occurs, information shows up in a book and reference books. 

A key step in the research and writing process is having a sound research question, one that is not too broad and one that is not too narrow.  The infographic below gives helpful hints on how to develop an appropriate research topic for any research assignment. You need to consider the scope of your topic and the time frame for the project.  You can narrow down or drawing concept maps, journaling, starting with encyclopedias, 

Evaluating information 

Not all information is created equally. 

• Access: is it readily available?
• Authorship: is the person writing qualified? 
• Context: Does it specifically address your research needs?
• Date: Is it current or still relevant? 
• Purpose: Why was this information created?
• Source: Can you find a bibliography

Why Use Google Scholar? 

• Broaden search to what is not indexed in databases owned by WMU libraries
• Easy natural language search
• Quick citation count to weigh the impact factor of an article
• Quick links to citing literature
• Easy to do a thorough/extensive review of the literature
• Quick proxy links to full text articles via WMU databases
• Create an account to set up alerts for different searches

Caveat: There is an increasing number of grey literature showing up in Google Scholar.  Be sure to assess the source of the material.

How to set up Google Scholar to Search Databases 

• Click Settings gear in the upper right hand part of the screen
• Choose Library Links (on left).
• Search  "Western Michigan University".
• Check "Western Michigan University

(Find it@WMU)”

• Check Open WorldCat
• Save Settings
• A link to "Find it@WMU" should now appear on the right hand side of the results list for those citations that are available from the Libraries.
• extensive review of the literature
• Quick proxy links to full text articles via WMU databases
• Create an account to set up alerts for different searches

Caveat: There is an increasing number of grey literature showing up in Google Scholar.  Be sure to assess the source of the material.

How to set up Google Scholar to Search Databases 

• Click Settings gear in the upper right hand part of the screen
• Choose Library Links (on left).
• Search  "Western Michigan University".
• Check "Western Michigan University

(Find it@WMU)”

• Check Open WorldCat
• Save Settings
• A link to "Find it@WMU" should now appear on the right hand side of the results list for those citations that are available from the Libraries.

Information does not stay the same. It evolves over time. 

Information evolves overtime and changes in format, content, and quality. When choosing information, consider the flow of information. Are you selecting the best resource available?

Evaluating information 

Not all information is created equally. 

• Access: is it readily available?
• Authorship: is the person writing qualified? 
• Context: Does it specifically address your research needs?
• Date: Is it current or still relevant? 
• Purpose: Why was this information created?
• Source: Can you find a bibliography

Evaluating information 

Not all information is created equally. 

• Access: is it readily available?
• Authorship: is the person writing qualified? 
• Context: Does it specifically address your research needs?
• Date: Is it current or still relevant? 
• Purpose: Why was this information created?
• Source: Can you find a bibliography

A key step in the research and writing process is having a sound research question, one that is not too broad and one that is not too narrow.  The infographic below gives helpful hints on how to develop an appropriate research topic for any research assignment. You need to consider the scope of your topic and the time frame for the project.  You can narrow down or drawing concept maps, journaling, starting with encyclopedias,