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Evaluating Sources

Doing Annotations the Otis Way

Intended Audience

Every publication or website has expectations about its target audience. Is a certain type or level of knowledge needed to understand or engage with the content?

Some basic groups might be:

  • General public: Need little to no prior knowledge or understanding
  • K-12 students: Expected to learn from the source
  • Undergraduates: People who are learning more about a topic
  • Professionals: Work in the field/industry
  • Academics: Working in a particular field/discipline and have studied the topic at length

The intended audience for information ties directly into the type of source it is.

Types of Sources

The types of sources listed below can apply to periodicals, books, and web pages. The types reflect the intended audience of the source.

Include reference to these descriptions in your annotations. 

Note that these categories are not definitive; there is room for overlap and ambiguity.

Academic / Scholarly
  • Written by scholars or researchers in an academic setting

  • Geared towards readers with background knowledge; uses high-level, academic vocabulary

  • Reports on original research, experimentation, or theory

  • Always cites sources and/or includes a bibliography

  • Often published by a university press, research center, or academic association

  • Often peer-reviewed (note: all peer-reviewed articles are scholarly, not necessarily vice versa)

  • May contain visual info, like charts or graphs, that are suited to the field/discipline

  • Not usually available on newsstands

 

Examples: Fashion Theory; Art History; Art Bulletin; Journal of the American Medical Association

Trade / Professional
  • Written by and for people in a specific industry or professional field

  • Assumes reader has knowledge of the field; uses specialized jargon

  • Info about news, trends, and products related to the field as well as career/professional development information

  • Sometimes includes references or a short bibliography

  • Often published by a trade or professional association

  • Not usually available on newsstands

 

Examples: American Libraries; Communication Arts; Animation Magazine

Substantive News
  • Longform, in-depth content

  • Provides fact-checked information about current events

  • Sometimes lists sources or includes a bibliography

  • Clear indication of the author(s) (usually)

  • Level of writing geared to an educated or well-read audience

  • Sometimes available on newsstands

 

Examples: National Geographic; The New York Times; The New Yorker; Art in America; Artforum

Popular (newspapers, magazines, etc.)
  • Written for general, broad audiences on any topic

  • Articles written by staff writers or freelance writers 

  • In.print format, these are typically slick or glossy

  • Features lots of advertisements

  • Rarely will include full citations/references 

  • Easily found on newsstands, in bookstores, or via the Internet

 

Examples: Time; People; Sports Illustrated; Vogue; Rolling Stone

 

Helpful Questions

  • Does it assume that the reader already knows a lot about the topic?
    • Yes = scholarly, trade/professional
    • No = general public
  • Does it use specialized vocabulary, long words, or complicated sentences?
    • Academic jargon = scholarly
    • Industry jargon = trade/professional
    • None, easy to read = general public

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