Academic Sources

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Academic Sources

• Created by Sarah Sifers and Cheryl Radeloff
• Funded by Minnesota State University, Mankato
  College of Social and Behavioral Sciences

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Academic vs. Non-academic Periodicals

• Academic
• Journals
• Somber
• Articles have long, dry titles
• Bibliographies
• Abstract
• Authors have degrees and institutional
  affiliations after name
• Conference proceedings, posters
• Indicate conference at which presented

• Non-academic
• Magazines
• Flashy/glossy
• Articles have provocative titles
• No bibliography
• No abstract
• Authors may not have degrees or affiliation after
  names
• Newspapers
• Eye-catching titles
• Concise writing

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Journal
Magazine
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Academic vs. Non-academic Books

• Academic
• Textbooks
• Authors list degrees and institutional
  affiliation
• Cover, text, and title not eye-catching
• Edited volume
• Book with chapters written by different authors
  and compiled by an editor
• Monographs
• Essay or book length paper on a specific, limited
  topic
• Theses and dissertations
• Identified as a thesis or dissertation on the
  title page
• Biographies/autobiographies
• Credentials of biographer
• Press is academic

• Non-academic
• Fiction
• Not based on factnovels, poetry, etc.
• Non-fiction popular media
• Authors typically will not list degree and
  affiliation
• Covers/titles tend to be flashy
• Self published

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Academic
Non-academic
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Academic vs. Non-academic Websites

• Academic
• Published by government organizations
• Proceedings from professional conferences
• Official sites of recognized professional
  organizations

• Non-academic
• Most websites
• Commercial
• Activist
• Spoof pages
• Blogs
• Discussion boards

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Academic Non-academic

• http//www.nimh.nih.gov/

• http//www.drlaura.com/main/

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Additional Resources

• http//www.lib.mnsu.edu/lib/scol-jou.html
• http//www.lib.mnsu.edu/lib/scol-jou.html
• http//tutorial.lib.umn.edu/infomachine.asp?module
  ID9lessonID46
• http//libdatascsu.stcloudstate.edu/mankato/
• Ask a reference librarian