How to Research: A Tutorial
Types of Articles in Databases
The databases contain many different types of articles. The articles you should look for will depend on your topic and your assignment.
- Informational / Overview Articles
- An encyclopedia-like article that gives a brief overview
- In-depth articles that cover many aspects of a topic or issue
- Generally these articles are objective, or present both sides of an issue without taking a side
- Newspaper Articles
- Provide very current information about something happening now
- Tend to cover the basics without going into much depth or detail
- Written for the general public
- May also be editorials which are one person’s opinion
- Magazine Articles
- Typically provide a broad overview of an event, topic or issue
- Written for the general public or people with a particular interest (like economics or art)
- Scholarly Journal Articles
- Longer, in-depth, well-researched articles about a specific topic
- Written by experts for other researchers
- Published in peer-reviewed journals
"Peer-reviewed" means the article has been reviewed by a panel of experts before publication. The author’s "peers" – other experts in the field – decide if the article is appropriate for the journal.